Ash's Gift
by MegamanZero
Summary: Ash has a secret that not even he knows about, a secret that could lead to the destruction of the entire human race. And what of the strange bond he and Misty share that will keep them together ... forever? (Chapter 13 is up, in case you haven't noticed.)
1. Enter the Boy on the Run

Ash's Gift  
By MegamanZero  
Part One: Enter the Boy on the Run  
nmc_512@yahoo.com  
AAMRN, Gen.  
  
Disclaimer: The only part of Pokemon that I own is a beat-up copy of the Crystal   
Version, so DON'T SUE ME!!  
Still Disclaiming: The only characters that are MINE are Jamie Mason and Slade   
Morton. Yes, they are MINE. ALL MINE.  
Even More Disclaiming: This is my first ever fanfic, so don't expect some   
Pulitzer Prize-deserving work of art.  
Rating: Between PG and PG-13  
  
Ash: 15Misty: 16Brock: 20Duplica: 15  
Jamie: 16Gary: 16Jessie and James: 21  
  
Introduction/Story Description:  
Ash is headed back to Pallet train for the Pokemon League at Indigo. After   
losing a few years ago he wants another shot at the title. But upon entering   
Pallet Ash and Co. meet a boy, Misty's longtime friend. But this boy holds a   
dark secret, and a terrible power. Through this boy Ash also learns of a power   
that he has had all along. And unknown to him and others, Team Rocket has   
special plans for both of them. And amidst all this, will Ash and Misty find   
each other?  
  
* * * *  
  
Man, is she beautiful, Ash thought as he, Misty, and Brock wandered   
through the woods. And look at me, still scrawny and only a little taller than I   
was before. I wonder what it's like to kiss her.   
"ASH!!! DON'T TELL ME WE'RE LOST AGAIN!!!"  
Ash Ketchum had heard that same scream many times in the past when he led   
the gang along one of his infamous "shortcuts". He knew that if he didn't come   
up with some kind of answer in three seconds the only thing he would be kissing   
would be Misty's mallet.   
"We're not lost!" he snapped back. "We're   
just.......................................uh.............................. we   
just don't know where we are." He finished lamely.   
Both Brock and Misty, even Pikachu anime fell. "Ash! We've walked past the   
same stupid tree stump like, three times now!" She kicked the stump for   
emphasis.   
"Yeah, and to top it all off, we're tired." Brock added. He felt his   
stomach growl. "AND hungry. Maybe we should just set up camp here. It's getting   
kinda dark."  
"Pipi pi pikachu pika pika? (Yeah! Where's my ketchup?)"  
Ash sighed loudly. He was hoping that, for once, his shortcut would   
actually work. Unfortunately, there would be no Ash's house, no crisp sheets,   
hot showers, or a good meal. Instead, there would be a dirty ground, a torn and   
tattered sleeping bag, and one of Brock's famous I-Don't-Have-The-Right-Stuff-  
To-Make-You-Guys-A-Real-Dinner-So-You're-Stuck-With-This-Crap meals. Ash   
could've taken Misty's advice and stocked up on more supplies at the previous   
town, but nooooooo. No, he had to get that cocky attitude of his and state that   
they would make it through the woods and to Pallet Town by sundown.   
Misty took out one of her item balls and opened it. A tent materialized in   
front of her. She began setting up the tent, thinking to herself.  
"Why do I always have to be so mean to him?" she muttered. Togepy, who was   
deep in the study of a ladybug two feet away overheard her and said: "Prri prri   
togeprri?? (Is something wrong, Mommy??) Togepy gave her his infamous puppy dog   
eyes.  
  
The redhead looked down at the egg-like pokemon and smiled. "No,   
everything's alright with me, sweetie." she replied softly. She reached out and   
took Togepy into her arms and stroked his head pensively. "Why don't you go to   
sleep   
now, okay?"   
"Prrri!" Togepy squealed in delight to be touched by his Mommy. Just   
seconds before he closed his eyes to sleep, he wondered why Daddy was stomping   
on the ground and screaming.  
"God, why is this stupid tent being   
so...........................so..............................STUPID!?" he   
wailed. He had been trying for a good twenty minutes to erect his tent, but to   
no avail. He couldn't figure out why he couldn't set up his own tent after he   
had successfully done it dozens of times before.   
In a white hot flash of sudden rage, Ash began let his anger out on the   
tree stump that he had seen way too many times than he should've that day until   
he thought his fists were bleeding. He turned around just in time to see   
everybody sweat drop, with various expressions on their faces. Brock had put a   
hand over his mouth in a feeble attempt to keep the others from seeing him   
guffawing uncontrollably. Pikachu laughed so hard that he squeezed his ketchup   
bottle just a little too intensely, squirting ketchup all over his face, making   
him laugh even harder. Misty just sat there with wide eyes as if she had just   
witnessed a terrible crime. Togepy was totally and completely unperturbed by all   
this; he just lay asleep in on the ground, snoring softly.   
Ash immediately turned several shades of crimson and turned away with his   
eyes shielded under the brim of his hat. Great, he thought. Not only have I made   
a complete ass of myself in front of everybody, but Misty probably thinks I'm   
some kind of raging psycho. Even Pikachu was laughing.  
"Um, I'm gonna go for a walk, ok guys?" Ash blurted without expecting an   
answer. "I'llseeyouinalittlebitgottagobyebye!"  
"Pikapi pi pikachu! (Ash, wait up!)" Pikachu repeatedly called after   
chasing him for a few minutes. Ash tried to outrun the electric mouse, but a   
root in his path caused him to do a 360 front-flip before landing on painfully   
his back.  
Ash cried out in pain as his vertebrae met with the hard forest floor.   
"Why am I such a klutz!!?" he shouted at the canopy, still supine. "Awwww, my   
back!"  
Pikachu rushed to his trainer's side. "Pikapi, pi pi chu? (Ash, are you   
ok???) The worried rodent asked.  
"Ugh, I'm fine, Pikachu." Ash replied. "My BACK!!"  
"Pikachu pi pi chu pika? (Is there anything I can do?)"  
Ash strained to talk. "No, buddy. Just let me lie down for a while."   
Inside Ash was screaming not in pain, but in anger. He was furious with himself   
for not seeing the tree root. How could he so clumsy? How could he get so wild?   
What kind of Pokemon master can't set up his own tent without busting an artery?   
Pikachu sensed that his friend was distraught, so he cuddled up against   
his head in a comforting manner. "Pi pi pikachu chu. (Sorry for laughing at   
you.)  
Ash smiled as he stared up into the canopy of trees. "It's ok, Pikachu. I   
was being a little crazy, wasn't I?" He stroked his furry friend's electric sacs   
on his cheeks. Pikachu smiled and let loose a comforting bit of static   
electricity that made Ash's hair stand on end and a smile on his lips.   
Just then Ash heard the sound of feet crunching against fallen leaves.   
Pikachu's ears popped up in an alert. His head moved to the direction of the   
noise. Oh man, I hope that's Brock coming, Ash thought nervously. He couldn't   
stand the thought of Misty finding him like this.   
Ash tried to turn his head more, but the pain of falling on his back   
prevented him from seeing the figure walking toward him.   
"Pikapi..................(Ash)?" Pikachu said in a horrified voice. He   
began shaking uncontrollably and scrambled underneath Ash's shirt.  
"Hey! Come on, Pikachu, cut that out! What is it?" Ash was unable to see   
what the electric rodent was getting so worked up about.  
Just then the one who Pikachu hid from was standing right over Ash's lying   
body. Ash took one look at the figure and gasped.   
It was shaped like a young teenager. The person's face was shrouded in   
darkness, as the dim canopy moonlight couldn't reach his visage. But that's not   
what Ash gasped about. It was the figure's eyes that made Ash want to jump out   
of his skin.  
The eyes were red. A bright red.  
And glowing.  
"Hey, dude?" the red-eyed thing said. "You alright?"  
Ash took a deep breath and screamed. Screamed louder than he had ever   
screamed in his entire life. Screamed until he thought his vocal cords would   
burst inside his throat.   
The sinister eyed teenager stepped back a little and said excitedly,   
"Whoa, cool! That's the loudest anyone has ever screamed about my eyes in years!   
It's a record! HAH! Take that, Guinness!"  
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!" Another voice roared. "What did you do to   
Ash!??   
Misty.  
The mystery person turned around to see a very angry redhead with a mallet   
in her hands and murder on her face. "If you hurt Ash, I swear to God I'm gonna   
bash this mallet into your head!"  
"I assure you, Mist, that I didn't hurt your boyfriend here." The boy said   
coolly, calmly. "He tripped over his own two feet."  
Misty's angry expression melted into confusion. "What the......... how do   
you know my name?"  
The boy crossed his arms. "Oh come on, Misty! You don't recognize moi? The   
guy you've known since we were playing with GI- Joes and Barbie dolls??" His   
voice sounded the slightest bit irritated.  
She squinted in the darkness at his face. "Those red   
eyes...............................................................JAMIE!!!?? Is   
that you!!?"  
Jamie held his hand out and gave the peace sign. Underneath the darkness   
covering his face he was wearing a big, goofy grin. "The one and only, baby." He   
replied with pride in his voice.  
Misty dropped her mallet, ran up to Jamie and gave him a gigantic hug.   
Jamie was only too happy to return the hug. "Jamie! It's so great to see you!"   
Misty exclaimed. "But, what're you doing here?"  
Jamie? Ash thought. Who's Jamie?   
A scowl appeared on his face. And why is Misty so happy to see him?  
"Your last email said that you were headed to Pallet, remember?" Jamie   
said. "I, being the smart guy I am, decided to stay at a hotel here and meet   
you. Tonight I was taking a moonlight stroll with Abra." He looked down   
towards his feet at a very cheerful-looking Abra. "Me and Abra were practicing a   
technique that lets me see in the dark, but a nasty little side affect makes   
these two eyeballs glow. I guess I gave this guy" -he jerked his thumb toward   
Ash- "quite a boxer-pissing experience."  
"Ash, you dork." Misty teased him as she helped him off the ground.   
Inside, however, she was thanking her lucky stars that Ash was okay. She was   
thankful didn't find Ash in a puddle of blood. Thankful that Jamie didn't   
become angry somehow. After all, she knew of Jamie's "condition". She knew of   
the people who followed him every day of his life.  
  
* * * *  
  
Ash, Misty, Jamie, Abra, and Pikachu made their way back to the campsite.   
Pikachu wasn't doing any walking, however. He was too busy cowering under Ash's   
shirt after seeing Jamie's red eyes. Just the memory would give him nightmares   
for a very long time.  
"Yo, Ashy-Boy?" Jamie asked as they came upon the tents. "You can tell   
your little furry friend to come out now. You look six-months pregnant." He   
pointed to the bulge under the stomach area of Ash's shirt.  
Misty gave a chuckle while Ash forced a plastic smile. Underneath the   
smile was scowl waiting to burst out.  
Who the hell does this guy think he is? Ash thought angrily. He thinks he   
can just waltz in here and get friendly with Misty? And on top of that mock me??   
I should knock his teeth out! Oh, man how I hate it when people call me Ashy-  
Boy!  
But, wait. Something's not right here. If I'm mad at this guy, then how   
come I just want to laugh for no good reason? What's going on?  
Ash's thoughts were interrupted as Brock came rushing up from the tents.  
"Hey Ash, you alright? I set up your tent for you. Who's your   
friend.................................AAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRHHHHHHHHH!!!!!"  
Brock's eyes actually bulged from his sockets, which rarely happened   
due to the fact he was always squinting. He pointed a shaking finger at Jamie.  
"Th-th-th-th-those eyes! Th-th-they're glowing r-r-r-red!"  
In a quick, birdlike motion, Jamie's head jerked towards the direction of   
Brock. He put on a different kind of smile, kind of like the one that the Joker   
from Batman he loved to wear. The kind that made you want to wrap a straitjacket   
on him and throw him in an insane asylum. His glowing eyes bore into Brock.   
"Think they're scary, do ya? DO YA!?" he shrieked in mock-evil fashion.   
Brock flinched at the outburst.   
The Joker smile shifted back to his usual goofy expression. "Good, that's   
kinda what I was goin' for." He glanced down at Abra. "Ain't that right, Abra?"   
Abra gave the peace sign in response.   
As if a giggle-bomb exploded in the area, the whole crew started laughing.   
Pikachu had rolled out from under Ash's shirt and joined in the laughter as   
well. Nobody, except for Jamie, knew why he or she had the sudden urge to laugh,   
they just had to. They HAD to.   
"Why---giggle----are-----chortle-----we-----guffaw-----LAUGHING!?" Ash   
screamed over the passionate laughter.  
"I----guffaw----don't----laugh----KNOW!!!" Brock yelled back, nearly out   
of breath.   
Suddenly there was one less voice laughing and giggling like there was no   
tomorrow. It was Pikachu.   
"PIKA PIKA! (Hey look!)"  
The laughter died instantly as everybody looked towards the ground.   
Everybody's eyes bulged at the sight. The fallen leaves that littered the forest   
floor were moving.   
The leaves started out rocking back and forth on the dirt. Then things   
became a little more horrifying as they began to vibrate violently. The leaves   
then levitated a few inches off the ground and flashed an angry red. The light   
flickered for a moment, then the phenomenon ended just as quickly as it started.  
Ash, Misty, Brock, Pikachu and Jamie's faces spoke of pure terror.   
Finally, Ash broke the silence.  
"Would somebody tell me," Ash said calmly, while his voice rose in a   
steady crescendo, "WHAT THE HELL JUST HAPPENED???"  
"Oh, God." Jamie breathed as he backed away from the group. The horror on   
his face shifted into confused sadness. "It........................it   
can't...........................be."  
Ash managed to tear his gaze away from Jamie to Misty. Ash went from   
momentarily terrified into suspicious.   
Misty's expression was different from his, Brock's, and Pikachu's. It   
wasn't just terror. No. It was a KNOWING terror. She uttered a low curse as she   
grabbed Jamie by the hand.  
"Jamie," she whispered through gritted teeth, "we need to   
talk........................NOW." Her grip became increasingly stronger as her emerald eyes   
pierced into his own ruby red ones.   
Jamie gave a dazed nod as she pulled him off into the woods away from the   
tents. Abra sprinted alongside of them, scared to death for his master and   
himself.  
  
* * * *   
  
"WHAT IN THE HELL JUST HAPPENED, JAMIE!?" Misty roared. She knew that she   
would be doing a lot of yelling, so she took Jamie (and Abra) to a deeper area   
of the woods. Abra winced at her bellowing, Jamie took it with a grain of salt   
and an expression of stone.   
"DO HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT KIND OF DANGER YOU JUST PUT YOURSELF INTO!? WHAT   
ABOUT THE MEDICATION? THEY'LL FIND YOU NOW, JAMIE! AND WHEN THEY DO, THEY'LL---"  
"IT SLIPPED, ALRIGHT!!?" Jamie exploded. His chest was heaving, his red   
eyes blazing. His stone expression broke into tears. "It slipped."  
Misty's expression softened. "What do you mean?" She put her hands on his   
shaking shoulders.  
"I mean that the medication just isn't cutting it anymore, OK!? It worked   
when I was younger, but ever since I turned fifteen last year I've been having   
these........." he wiped some tears from his face "'discharges'. More and more   
frequently."  
"How come you never told me about this?" Misty asked, her voice dripping   
with worry.   
"I didn't want to worry you, Mist. I didn't want you to freak out and   
start to look for me." He pulled away from her grip on his shoulders, turned   
away, and wiped more tears from the running waterfalls that were his eyes.   
"Look, it was a complete and total accident that I found you and your friends.   
I've been on the run, Misty, ON THE RUN. I know that they can track these   
psychic discharges. I found that out the hard way."  
Misty stood there and listened to his story, tears welling up in her own   
eyes. She looked down to see Abra cuddling up to his master's legs, trying his   
best to stop the crying. She hated seeing Jamie like this. This new side of   
Jamie was totally untrue to his sunny nature. Jamie went on.  
"Nearly two hours after I had my most recent discharge, they found me at   
the hotel I was staying at. A whole squad of them, Mist. So much gunfire, so   
much screaming.................."  
"They all died because of me," he croaked. "Everyone in the   
hotel........................dead. Men, women, children. I hate them Misty. I hate Team Rocket,   
I HATE THEM ALL!"  
Misty wrapped her arms around her friend with his back turned to her. She   
held him in a long embrace. She could hear Abra whispering words of comfort.   
Misty decided to follow Abra's example.   
"Jamie," she whispered in his ear. "It's not your fault. We can help. My   
friends can help you. That way Team Rocket can never bother you again."   
"Misty," he whispered back to her with a bitter smile on his face. "That's   
real sweet of you and all, but you'd only be putting yourself into even more   
danger. My parents tried to help, but they're dead now. Dead because they   
allowed their love for me to blind their reason. Every one of my foster families   
is dead because they thought they could help too. Why do you think that for so   
many years I've had to keep in touch with you by phone or by email? Everyone who   
got too close to me has been killed. If I were to travel with you and your   
friends, you guys would share the same fate as all the others."  
He hung his head down. "I've been on the run for so long. Having to live   
in hotels. Living off of Pokemon battle prize money. Never having a permanent   
home. I'm sick of it, Misty. SICK OF IT. The only friends I've ever had were you   
and my Pokemon." He reached down and patted Abra on the head. "Trust me, it   
would be a lot better if I just left right now."  
Misty hugged onto him tighter. "NO, Jamie. I'm gonna help you, like it or   
not. You need this."  
"Are you absolutely sure about this, Mist? What gives you the confidence   
that you can beat the Team Rocket Hunters?"  
"Positive, Jame. Ash is a really good trainer. Really good. And I'm no   
wimp myself."  
Jamie smiled at the nickname she had given him. They pulled away from the   
embrace. "You're the best, Mist."  
Misty grinned back. "I know."  
"So, uuhhhh, I gotta tell the others, huh?" Jamie asked with reluctance in   
his voice.  
"Yeah. They have to know if they're gonna help you."  
Jamie gave his goofy grin again. "Jeez, so much for proper introductions." 


	2. Enter the Superiors

Ash's Gift  
By MegamanZero  
Part Two: Enter The Superior Humans  
nmc_512@yahoo.com  
AAMRN, Gen.  
  
Disclaimer: I didn't own Pokemon then and I don't own Pokemon now.   
Rating: PG-13  
  
Ash: 15Misty: 16Brock: 20Duplica: 15  
Jamie: 16Gary: 16Jesse and James: 21  
  
Story Recap:  
Last time on "Ash's Gift" we were introduced to the cheerful, yet tortured, Jamie Mason. After letting loose one of his psychic discharges, Misty gave him a good yelling at, then some comfort afterwards. However, Team Rocket Headquarters has detected his discharge and is tracking him down as we speak. Will Ash be willing to help Jamie?   
  
* * * *   
  
Ash paced back and forth around the campsite. Pikachu, in a nervous frenzy, downed every drop of ketchup out of his bottle like a baby drinking out of a bottle. Brock was on the verge of falling asleep in his tent.  
Misty, Jamie and Abra emerged from the darkness of the woods and into the light of the campfire. Their eyes had the telltale swelling and redness of recent tears. Misty cracked a nervous smile. "We're back."  
Ash looked over to them. "Oh really?" Ash said acidly. "And just WHAT were   
you doing, hmm?" He obviously didn't notice that they had been crying. He was a little bit preoccupied with being jealous.  
"If you MUST know what we were doing," Misty replied fiercely, her nervous smile turning upside down. "We were having a very important conversation."  
Ash raised his left eyebrow. "About what?" he asked incredulously, his eyebrow in danger of escaping into his hair. Ash didn't like the idea of Misty running off into the woods with some guy, especially some guy he had just met minutes before. But, then again, Ash and Misty weren't together.   
Not just yet, he mused.  
Jamie glanced over to Misty. "Do I have to?" he pouted. Misty's answered him with her best glare.   
Jamie opened his mouth, but then pulled back. He began to let loose a faster than light train of words that nobody understood. Ash looked at him cockeyed. Pikachu and Brock both turned their heads to the side in confusion. Misty knew these as signs of nervousness for the brown haired boy.  
"Jamie, quit stalling!" Misty barked.  
Jamie opened his mouth and wore the same nervous smile Misty had worn before. "Ok, I know this is gonna be kind of a lot to take in...........considering we just met an all. Try to bear with me ok?"  
Jamie told the rest of the group everything that happened to him. He told him of the Hunters, the death of his parents, and his psychic discharges. He even began telling him what his favorite color was and went as far as to tell them that he likes watching the Powerpuff Girls.  
"Jamie!" Misty interrupted. "Don't ramble."  
"Sorry. As I was saying, there are a select few of us born. People like me are only born to one out of a thousand people. So, you could say I'm somewhat of a "mutant". Personally, I like to think of myself as a "miracle".   
Misty rolled her eyes.  
"We posses superior strength, enhanced speed, heightened senses, and the ability to augment psychic energy into our Pokemon and ourselves. Every time we do, it enhances our Pokemon's abilities as well. After each psychic augmentation they become much more stronger than they would in a normal Pokemon battle."  
"Hey, I've heard of rumors about you people!" Brock piped up. "They say that you guys are called the "Superiors" and the most powerful trainers in the whole world. But why is it that every time one is born, it's never heard from again?"  
"Simple." Jamie replied with venom in his voice. "Team Rocket STEALS them."  
Ash set his face to "stunned". Brock and Pikachu followed suit. Misty stood by with a solemn expression.  
"Babies being stolen right out of the nurseries." Jamie said with hate. "Stolen by Team Rocket for their own warped purposes. I could've grown up to be just like them: a soulless killing machine."  
Ash was taken aback by his words. Just moments before he had felt nothing but contempt for this red-eyed stranger. Ash felt like a fool for thinking that Team Rocket was ruining his OWN life. The boy standing right in front of him had seen more hurt in his life than Ash ever would. Ash had to say something to him.  
"H-hey, Jamie?"  
Jamie paused in the middle of his speech. "Yeah? What?"  
"S-sorry."  
"About what?"  
Ash gave a loudly audible sigh. "I'm sorry for being so suspicious about you before. It's just that...................ah............. um................uh.............................. (mumble mumble)."  
Jamie looked confused. "What's that?"  
Ash walked up to him and put his mouth to his ear with a very embarrassed look on his face. "I........................um...........................kinda like.....................Misty." He whispered.  
Jamie gave a sly smile. "Ohhhhhhhh, I see," he whispered. "You have the hots for the Mist-Girl."  
"Hey!" Misty said sharply. "Instead of practicing our conversation skills, shouldn't we be getting out of here?"  
"Oh, right, sorry Mist." Jamie said. "Anyways, I think that all of us should haul ass RIGHT NOW because the Rockets will be on us like flies on a dog turd!" He said the word "Rockets" with such poison that Brock winced back.   
"You mean, they're going to be here really soon?" Brock asked, already packing the tent into an item ball. "Ash, we should leave right now."  
"Hold on, wait a minute!" Ash yelled. "Why are we running?" He threw his hands up into the air in frustration. "We've dealt with Team Rocket before, and we can do it again."  
"I totally believe you, Ash." Jamie said. " I believe you when you say you've handled them before. But tell me, O great Pokemon master, have you ever dealt with twenty of them at once??"  
Ash's heart leapt into his throat. It dawned on him that if the TRs were anything like the ones that attacked Jamie in the hotel, they were in deep trouble.   
"Pika chu Pika Pikapi chu (Ash, we have to go NOW!)" Pikahu urged as he tugged onto his master's pant leg.   
It was total bedlam. Misty had yanked Togepy away from his slumber, much to his great displeasure, and stuffed him into her backpack. Brock was franticly grabbing all of his cooking equipment, uttering curses as his hands touched the hot pans. Jamie was busy trying to calm a very panicked Abra.   
Ash however, stood still. He had picked up a very strange looking Pokeball that landed by his feet a few seconds earlier. Pikachu was also observing it from Ash's shoulder. It flashed red in a steady rhythm. Ash gave a confused look as a series of short beeps began to emit from the ball.  
Jamie froze to a halt. "EVERYBODY STOP, NOW!!" he shouted, his voice boomed like a shout from God. Everybody froze into place. "What's that sound??"  
Ash turned around and faced the group. "Oh, you mean this?" he asked, pointing to the beeping, flashing orb in his hand. "Somebody tossed this Pokeball by my feet."  
Jamie's red eyes bulged out from his sockets. A look of horror spread across his face as he realized what the ball was. "Oh God, ASH!! THAT'S NOT A POKEBALL, THAT'S A-------"  
Jamie never had time to finish his sentence before the PokeBomb in Ash's palm detonated. A look of surprise and shock appeared on Ash and Pikachu's face just before they were caught in the blast. The shockwave knocked everybody several feet before the trees around them were up in flames. Jamie barely had time to throw his body over Misty's.   
  
* * * *   
  
Voice One: You fool, you killed him! The Boss will have your nuts on a stick! I outta shoot you right now. And we needed them BOTH alive.   
  
Voice Two: It wasn't my fault! The Boss even said, "Capture the targets by ANY   
means necessary. Eliminate all others that get in the way of the mission."   
  
Voice One: But did he say for you to blow up the whole freaking forest with a POKEBOMB!? Where's my gun, you're gettin' it, Jim!  
  
Jim: Not if I kill you first!   
  
Voice Three: Everybody shut up. NOW. Jim took a wise course of action.  
  
Both: WHAT!?  
  
Voice Three: Keep your voices down, you idiots! He knew that the Superiors would definitely survive such a blast, while the others near them most certainly would not. So what if we burn down a few dozen acres of forest? By using the PokeBomb,   
  
Jim here insured that the targets were alive, but incapacitated, and that all other witnesses were eliminated. Isn't that right, Jim?  
  
Jim: Y-y-yeah, s-s-sure, Commander. Right. Can you please tell Rudy pull his gun out of my ear, sir?  
  
Commander: Rudy, holster that gun before I break your arm.  
  
Rudy: SIR! SORRY, SIR!  
  
Commander: VOICE DOWN, SOLDIER. Alright men, good luck. I'll have to leave you now. Complete the mission on your own, I have other things to attend to.  
  
Both: SIR!?  
  
Commander: For the last time, QUIET. You men will bring the subjects back to the rendezvous point. Me and the other Superiors will be waiting to take them into custody. Both of you have your standard issue Vileplumes, right?  
  
(Pulling out Pokeballs) Everybody: Yes sir.  
  
Commander: USE THEM. Only a Vileplume's Stun Spore or Sleep Powder can take down a Superior. If the blast didn't knock them out, your Vileplumes will. USE EXTREME CAUTION. If they are still capable of fighting back, and if their Pokemon defeat your Vile plumes, then you are all as good as dead.  
  
Both:...  
  
Commander: If your Pokemon are beaten, both of the Superiors will be quite angry by then. It will be a total bloodbath. They will go into the Rage and will brutally kill both of you, probably their friends as well. That is, if their friends are still alive.   
  
Rudy: We won't fail, sir. We know how long it took to find both Aries and Jupiter, and we won't disappoint the Boss.  
  
Commander: Glad to here it, Rude. All right men, move out!  
  
* * * *   
  
Misty coughed up ash and soot as she tried her best to get up off the ground. She felt her brain do flip-flops in her head. Jamie lay next to her, whispering "Oh God, oh God, oh God" over and over. Brock lay unconscious by the bludgeoned tree stump.  
At first Misty tended to Togepy, who was crying like mad from inside the backpack. Then she realized what just happened.  
"ASH!!!!!! She screamed, her throat felt like sand. "NOOOOOO!!!!!" She scrambled up off the ground with Togepy wailing in her arms. Burning tree bark littered the ground around her. Thick black smoke was everywhere, her eyes burned and itched, but she didn't care. "Ash!!" she screamed again.   
"Abra!" Jamie coughed. "Is there something you can do about all this smoke?"  
"Bra abra! (On it!)" Abra replied. He jumped into the smoke and began spin in place like a Hitmontop. The thick black cloud that surrounded the terrified teenagers soon dispersed into the sky.   
"Good job, Abra!" Jamie shouted.  
Misty, however, was not so enthusiastic. She had just watched her best friend get consumed in a burning ball of fiery death. She felt like lying down on the burning forest floor and dying. Instead, a wave of nausea hit her full force, and she spewed out her sadness all over the ground.   
Jamie stopped muttering "Oh God". He was too busy gaping at the sight where the smoke was cleared. It was Ash.  
Intact.   
Ash was covered in a thick black film, Pikachu as well. They were both sprawled across the ground and looked quite dead. Soon Jamie noticed that although most of Ash's clothes were blown away, including his hat, he didn't have a mark on him. He even had all his hair.   
"Misty, look!" Jamie cried.   
Misty looked at the ground before her. She didn't know whether to laugh, cry, or be angry. All she knew was that Ash was still alive.  
She helped him off the ground and wrapped her arms around him. She didn't care that she had soot all over her, she didn't care that Ash smelled like a burnt hamburger. She never wanted to let go of him.   
"...My head hurts," Ash croaked. He felt a little surprised that Misty was holding on to him as if he were a favorite stuffed animal, but he would have to discuss that later. Right then he had to worry about the fact that somebody threw a bomb at him. His surprise was suddenly replaced by anger.  
A lot of anger.   
Misty didn't notice the burning pieces of leaves hovering around both of them as she held Ash.   
Ash's keen ears heard voices: "There they are, release your Vileplume, now!"   
"Rockets." Jamie seethed.   
Ash pulled away from Misty because he had the sudden urge to snap somebody's neck. An evil grin spread across Ash's face as he mused about how wonderful it would be to kill the one who dared to try and take his life. Oh, it would be so sweet. He pictured himself ripping them apart and...  
No, wait! Why was he getting these violent urges? And more importantly, why was a red miasma seeping over his eyes?   
Misty stepped back and put her hands over her mouth. She watched as Ash underwent a physical transformation. The red miasma that swam over his eyes began to give off a brutal madder red glow. His muscles began to bulge outward with ugly blue veins and sinew. His body began to vibrate wildly just like the leaves did before.   
Misty yelped in horror as he let loose a low growl. Pikachu gave a loud "PIKA!" at the sound and jumped into Misty's arms and trembled in fear. She turned around only to see Jamie going through the same transformation.  
"It-it-it can't be..." Misty breathed. "No...it can't be..." He didn't look or sound like the sweet, caring Ash she knew. He acted like some dangerous beast.  
Both Ash and Jamie gave a loud hiss. Their attention quickly turned towards the Team Rocket members and their Vileplumes.   
"Oh shit!" Jim wailed. "They've already gone into the Rage! Whadda we do now?"  
"We still gotta complete the mission!" Rudy replied. "We'll deal with the girl and the man later. See what happens when you make a Superior MAD!? 'Wise course of action', my ass."  
The two Rockets stood steady with their Vileplumes, trying to hide the post-death horror they were feeling at the moment.  
"We're gonna die, guys." Jim whimpered as the two rabid teenagers began to advance toward them.   
"No, we're not." Rudy said through gritted teeth.   
Misty had huddled up against Brock's unconscious form by the tree stump with Togepy cradled in her arms, wailing like mad because it's Daddy had become some a monster. She then realized how Ash had smashed it up. Pikachu and Abra huddled alongside her. She closed her eyes because she knew exactly what kind of carnage would take place in a few seconds.   
Ash and Jamie let out one final roar before they barreled towards the Rockets like two wild animals. 


	3. The Plan is Set

Ash's Gift  
By MegamanZero  
Part Three: The Plan is Set  
nmc_512@yahoo.com   
AAMRN, Gen.   
  
Disclaimer: No, I still don't own Pokemon. If I did I would be making a whole lotta green, wouldn't I!?  
Warning: Violent content ahead! Not for the faint of heart or stomach!  
  
Ash: 15Misty: 16Brock: 20Duplica: 15  
Jamie: 16Gary: 16Jesse and James: 21  
  
Story Recap:  
Last time on "Ash's Gift" Jamie told the rest of the group his sad story. After Ash decided that he would help the strange boy, they realized that Team Rocket was hot on their trail after Jamie let loose his discharge and made haste to leave. But after being bombarded with a badly thrown Pokebomb, Ash and Jamie entered the Rage! It is now revealed that Ash is a Superior too! But what will happen to Misty and Brock and the Pokemon when the two rampaging Superiors are finished unleashing their wrath on the Hunters?   
  
* * * *  
  
  
Blood...kill...rip...power.   
  
These thoughts flowed through Ash's brain like a broken record. He could feel the power. He marveled at how it electrified every cell in his body and coursed through his very being.   
  
Blood...kill...rip...power.  
  
Violence. Violence is what he thirsted for. Carnage is something that he couldn't bear to live without. Kill something. Anything. So sweet...  
  
Blood...kill...rip...power.  
  
He wanted to use his power. He wanted the warm feeling of freshly spilt blood on his hands. The euphoria of ripping something apart was too much for him. The time is now. Ohhhh, it would be so wonderful to kill. Those two will do just nicely. Oh yes, just perfect...  
  
* * * *   
  
"Vileplume, Stun Spore, NOW!"  
  
"PLUME!"  
  
Rudy's Vileplume let loose a thick brownish cloud in Ash's direction. The Spores hit the Superior head on. Ash's blinked once in confusion as he was enveloped in the gaseous neurotoxin.  
  
"Vileplume, SLEEP POWDER!"  
  
"VILE!"  
  
Jim's Vileplume shot forth a blue dust towards Jamie. Jim winced at the horrible hissing sound Jamie emitted as the powder consumed him.  
  
"Alright, direct hit!"  
  
"Yeah, it's mission accomplished!"  
  
Their smiles then became gapes of horror as the clouds cleared. Ash and Jamie were still standing, wearing huge grimaces. The kind of faces that made grown men want to crawl under the covers and scream for their mommies. And that's exactly what the Hunters wanted to do right now.   
  
"Uh...Rude? Th-th-they're-they're not going down!" The Superiors advanced toward them. The Vileplumes screamed and disappeared back into their Pokeballs. It was then that both Hunters truly envied their standard issue Pokemon.   
  
"Don't you think I know that!?" Rudy shouted back, his voice shook and trembled with fear. They were getting closer. He fumbled for the stun baton on his belt. "Stunners, now!"   
  
Yup, we're dead! Rudy thought grimly. Oh, we are sooooooo dead! Man, I'd give up sex for a one way ticket into that Pokeball. What were we even thinking going up against TWO Superiors! Commander, oh how I hate you...   
  
Ash roared and sprung forward towards Rudy, his red eyes an ominous precursor to the blood that he would see. Rudy cried out as well and swung the stun baton with all his might, bashing into Ash's head. There was a loud FZZZT! as the electrified rod mad contact with his skull. Rudy screamed in horror as he witnessed the stun baton snap in half against the Rage-influenced teenager's head. Ash hissed angrily; the weapon, even though set to Kill, infuriated him even more. All Rudy saw was a blur of movement as Ash shot his fist forward. Rudy felt his jaw shatter and his brain crash around the inside of his cranium as he flew into the tree behind him with a sickening SNAP! His jaw was so badly damaged that he couldn't even call out his fiancé's name. Rudy's last thoughts were of her and how much he loved her. He closed his eyes and mentally screamed her name as he felt two powerful hands close around his skull.   
  
"RUDY, NO!!!" Jim wailed as the monster cracked his partner's head open like a coconut. "OH GOD NO!"  
  
* * * *   
  
Commander Slade Morton's excellent hearing picked up the unmistakable sounds of death-screams. He concluded proudly that he had made the world a better place by sending them on a suicide mission.  
  
"Stupid Inferiors." he sneered as he stepped out of the edge of the woods and onto the road. "Here that, Ashura? That's the sound of a new beginning." He was referring to the unearthly roars coming from the woods.  
  
A mirror image of Ash gave an oily smile. "Yes, it is, Commander. My brother and that Jupiter are real animals, aren't they?"  
  
"Oh, yes, Ashura. They are. And now that Aries has experienced the Rage, it means the Gene is no longer dormant. Now we can commence the experiment."  
  
Morton breathed a sigh of relief as they walked down the road. "Hmmph, and to think that the Gene has taken this long to activate. He MUST be the Ultimate that we're searching for. He shows all the signs." A dreamy sort of smile spread over Morton's handsome face. "After the experiments are done, we can commence Operation: Purity."  
  
Ashura only grunted in response. He was well aware of the fact that he was abducted at childbirth by the very man he was walking with. He knew that the only reason that his brother wasn't taken too was because the Gene didn't even exist in his body yet. By the time that they figured out that he was a Superior as well it was already too late. His mother had taken Ash and moved him to a tiny town known as Pallet Town where they would never find him.  
  
She was wrong. Oh yes, she was wrong! After Aries had left home to train Pokemon it was easy to track him down. All with the help of his two favorite Inferiors. The only two that he believed deserved to live. That bumbling blue-haired man and that unpleasantly loud strawberry-red haired woman. What were their names again? Oh yes, Jesse and James.  
  
It was almost disturbing at how well they could track him and his friends down. Ashura put aside the fact that two Inferiors had accomplished what him and his entire race would never have done. They had finally found Aries, the one and only Ultimate Superior.   
  
Aries. One of the only people Ashura had a healthy fear of. He had observed what his twin brother was capable of, even as an Inferior. Even when the Gene still lay as useless chromosomes in his body, he still showed incredible power as a Pokemon Trainer. Richie and Duplica knew firsthand what he could do. And they didn't even know the half of his abilities. That's why they needed him.  
  
They needed him because of what he was. Because of the very blood that coursed through his veins. Because of the one Gene that resided in each and every one of his cells.   
  
Ashura gritted his teeth and crushed the rock that he held in his palm into sand. No one would keep him and his people from their proper places as the rulers of the Earth! Not his mother, not his brother, not Jupiter. Not even that scrawny redhead that followed Aries around.  
  
Ashura muttered a curse under his breath. He was amazed and disgusted at how his twin brother could fall for a worthless Inferior girl. It was almost like a college professor dating a monkey! Ashura mused about how wonderful it would be to snap her neck like the twig she was. Another thought crept into his mind.   
  
In order to rid the world of that stupid animal, he would have to deal with his brother first. A Superior defending his mate was a force to be reckoned with. Ashura decided that she would be worth more to him alive. Using her as bait to get to his brother registered in his head as the perfect plan. That is, if Aries hasn't already killed her. He was in the Rage after all.   
  
Thoughts of his mother ran through his mind. Damn bitch, he thought to himself. Damn heretic bitch. How could she believe that our kind and those weaklings could live in harmony? They were nothing but useless animals that needed to be wiped off the face of the Earth.  
  
Stupid woman. Damn her. Damn Inferiors.  
  
The only good Inferior was a dead Inferior. He knew it. The Commander knew it. Richie knew it. His whole kind knew it. Well, all except for those two raging animals in the woods wreaking havoc and his idiotic mother. Speaking of idiots...  
  
"Where IS that idiot Richie with our transport!?" Ashura yelled. "He's probably stopped off at some village and raped every single Inferior girl in it! If he thinks he can goof off during a mission, he has another think coming..."  
  
"Patience, Ashura. I'm sure Richie will be here with the transport. Even if he HAS ravaged a few Inferior girls." Morton's dreamy smile became even wider as he listened to the screams emanating from the forest. Once the Cause harnessed the awesome power of the Rage, he mused, there would be no stopping them. All they needed was Aries. They would deal with Jupiter later.  
  
"Sir, I'm worried about Duplica." Ashura said. The thought of her out in the woods with two Superiors in the Rage sent shivers up his spine. He worried about his mate. She was one of the only things in the world that he cared about besides the Cause.   
  
"Ashura, that must be one of the most foolish things that has ever escaped your mouth." Morton chided. "Duplica is a fully capable warrior and trainer. Her Ditto has never been stronger, and her martial arts skills are at their peek. Right now her job is to rid the area of any unwanted guests." He put his hand on Ashura's shoulder in an almost fatherly way. "She'll be alright. If Aries and Jupiter find her, well, she CAN run incredibly fast."  
  
Ashura smiled as he thought of his mate. Slender body, yet so powerful. Deep blue hair, voice like an angel, and that killer instinct of hers that he loved so much. He cared for her something fierce.   
  
"Furthermore," Morton continued, "she IS armed with a Phase Disruptor. The Stun setting on that gun is very powerful. Powerful enough to take down a Raging Ultimate."  
  
Ashura blinked. "But sir, if we can stun them, then why can't we just do it NOW?"  
  
An amused chuckle burst from the Commander's lips. "Ashura, my boy, we're not even in that phase of the mission yet!" He chided, much like a father scolds his young son. "We're on recon right now. Have a little patience. You'll get to see your brother soon enough." Morton's grin twisted into a horrible grimace that made even Ashura wince. "And the Runaway will finally get what he deserves."  
  
Suddenly they both noticed the two headlights looming towards them down the road. "Ah perfect!" Morton cried, clapping his hands. "There's Richie now!"  
  
And the two genocidal Superiors made their way across the road towards the car. Ashura could make out Richie's visage in the mirror. He laughed inwardly as he noticed the wide smile of satisfaction spread across the corrupted teen's face.  
  
* * * *   
  
Ash awoke with a start. He felt as though he had the worst headache in his entire life. He moaned painfully as he struggled to get off the ground, wondering foggily why his eyes saw everything with a reddish tint.   
  
He looked about his surroundings. The fire had been put out, thanks to Squirtle and Todadile. Ash breathed a sigh of relief when no Pokebombs flew at him again.   
  
Ash's thoughts were interrupted by the unmistakable sounds of weeping. He turned around to see Misty huddled up by Brock and the other Pokemon. Through the redness he saw tears soaking her eyes and face. She had Togepy cradled in her arms, who had passed out in nervous shock.   
  
Then Ash screamed inwardly when he remembered what happened.  
  
The thoughts of murder, the screaming, the blood...it all came back to him with such force that he stumbled back onto his bottom. A single thought lurked through the depths of his mind.  
  
...I've just killed someone.  
  
He looked over by a charred tree. Ash nearly vomited when he saw the crushed corpse of the Hunter crumpled up by its trunk. Ash looked in another direction is horrified disgust only to see another man impaled onto one of the tree branches.   
  
Ash jumped in surprise as he felt a hand rest down upon his shoulder. He breathed a sigh of relief when he turned around and saw Jamie. An awkward silence rose between them. Then Jamie spoke up.  
  
"So......" he finally said, "you're like me, I guess."  
  
"Yeah." Ash replied, out of breath. In his mind he hoped against hope that this was all some kind of weird dream and that he would wake up. He would wake up to find his friends sleeping next to him; no burnt forest, no corpses. Sadly, his hopes were shattered when Jamie pinched him sharply on his shoulder as if he was reading his mind.   
  
"Sorry, Ash." Jamie said, his glowing red eyes showing the slightest hint of condolence. "I wish it were a dream, too. But it isn't. Really, I'm sorry about all this, Ash."  
  
"So I'm just like you." Ash said, his head hanging down. Tears leaked out of his own glowing eyes. "A freak."  
  
Ash pushed backed away from Jamie. The glowing in Ash's eyes became brighter and much more intense. "A FREAK!" he repeated.  
  
Ash expected Jamie to either attack him or give him a verbal beating. What Jamie did totally caught Ash off guard. Jamie only pointed towards Misty, who was shell-shocked and frozen stiff. "Your mate needs you." he said simply. His face was expressionless.   
  
Ash backed up from him even more. Mate?? MATE!? What was he talking about!? Ash could've dwelled on this. He could've just stood there and wracked his brains on the strange thing that Jamie had said. Instead, he walked over and tried his best to calm down a now very hysterical Misty.   
  
What a night... Ash wondered as he comforted Misty, who was screaming very loudly. What a NIGHT. 


	4. Strange Encounters

Ash's Gift  
By MegamanZero  
Part One: Strange Encounters  
nmc_512@yahoo.com  
AAMRN  
  
Ash: 15Misty: 16Brock: 20Duplica: 15  
Jamie: 15Gary: 16Jesse and James:21  
Richie: 17Ashura: 15Commander Slade Morton: 33  
  
A/N: (Gives a HUGE sigh) Whooo, I'm so glad to finally be done with this stupid chapter! Again, sorry for the wait, but my computer went nuts! Hmm, I find that I'm most creative at night. Who knows, maybe I'm nocturnal. Or maybe I'm just weird. Or maybe I'm a VAMPIRE, MWAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!! I VANT TO DRINK YOUR BLOOD! 0_0 Anyhoo, I stayed up all night writing and editing this, so I hope you're happy.   
  
Story Recap: Last time on Ash's Gift Ash got his first taste of blood when he   
killed that TR Hunter (gross!!). A very troubled group now walks through the   
woods, unaware of the mysterious stranger that follows their every step.   
Meanwhile, the Cause agents are on a crash course towards Pallet Town, and when   
they get there, things are going to get really ugly...  
  
* * * *   
  
"How did this happen?"  
  
This small question started out as a small cut in Duplica's mind. It soon festered into a swelling sore that threatened to drive her insane. And worse, she didn't know the answer.  
  
"God, how DID THIS HAPPEN!!?" she screamed into the darkness.   
  
"Careful, Duplica. You don't want to blow our cover." a voice that copied Duplica's perfectly replied back to her.  
  
Duplica jerked her head towards her voice and sighed when she realized it was only Ditto. About two years ago Ditto had mastered shape-shifting completely, and its favorite shape to take was none other than Duplica. From her wavy green hair down to her well-toned legs, Ditto was an exact physical copy of the Superior girl.   
  
Duplica loved the fact that Ditto could Transform into a human. It was like having her very own twin sister, who knew pretty much every aspect of her life. They talked and acted like sisters, which may or may not have been a good thing.  
  
Duplica, however, was in no sisterly mood. She took on an annoyed tone. "Where have you been, Ditto? I thought you had gotten lost."  
  
Ditto used the same smirk that Duplica would. "I never get lost. You should know that by now."  
  
It brushed itself off briefly before continuing to chide Duplica. "I was checking the area for any campers or rangers, you know, DOING MY JOB. And what have you been doing all this time, hmmmm? Screaming at the air?"  
  
Duplica's annoyed attitude ascended into an angry one.  
  
"Don't tell me you're still thinking about Aries."  
  
Duplica gave it a glare. "His name is Ash, Ditto. Ashton Satoshi Ketchum! Or have you forgotten already about the boy who helped save you?"  
  
Ditto glared right back. "That was all staged and you know it!" It exclaimed. "And that is not his real name! The very mention of that name will get both you and I a one way ticket in front of a firing squad! Aries is he true name, and he DIDN'T really save me, or have YOU forgotten already?"  
  
It was true. A few years ago Duplica and Ditto had been on an assignment to test Ash' strengths and abilities. They had been posted at Site 42b, or the Imitate House.   
  
Duplica remembered the first time she beat him in a Pokemon match. She wasn't, and still isn't, any amateur herself. The boy gave her quite a match, but her vast knoweledge of Pokemon techniques proved to much for him. At first she was ecstatic about actually beating the Ultimate, yet she had the distinct feeling that he was holding back. Later on she learned that he really was.  
  
She smiled when she remembered Ash back then. That handsome face. Those beautiful chocolate brown eyes. His beloved Pokemon League hat. Then she frowned when she remembered the red head that never seemed to leave his side.  
  
Misty Kasumi Waterflower.   
  
How lucky she was for a human, for anyone, to travel with the Ultimate himself. To wake up every morning and wonder "I wonder what crazy feat Ash will pull today?" It wasn't fair.   
  
She remembered how adamant Ash was about "rescuing" Ditto from its captors. Ash was always a sweet caring guy. Yet she still didn't know how it happened.  
  
She still didn't know how she fell in love with him.   
  
Duplica shuddered at the thought of Ashura ever finding out. Finding out that she was, in fact, in love with another; his brother. God, there would be hell to pay.   
  
She turned to her Pokemon. Ditto's expression softened when it saw tears in its trainer's eyes. "It's not like I haven't stopped loving Ashura." she said, her voice shaking. Duplica hung her head down. "But, I just can't deny my feelings for A --- for Aries."   
  
Ditto rested its hand on its trainer's shoulder. "Duplica, you can't love two people." It cradled the softly sobbing girl in its arms. "And you know Aries is out of the question. You know what their going to do to him once they capture him."  
  
"God, don't remind me." she sniffed.   
  
Ditto wiped the tears from Duplica's face. "You know, you haven't cried in the longest time, Duplica. The last time you did was when ... well ... you know."  
  
As if a dam had broke in the misty orbs that were Duplica's eyes, tears gushed forward like Niagra Falls. She began trembling and sobbing violently. Ditto inwardly smacked itself.  
  
  
  
Ditto began to comfort the crying girl when its head perked up. It heard footsteps: very light ones, but still footsteps. Duplica forgot about her tears and sprung up into a fighting stance. Ditto followed suit.   
  
"Who's there!?" she shouted. She looked all around the area about her. She saw nothing, yet she could hear the footsteps coming closer. "Show yourself!"  
  
Her heart dropped to her knees when she heard the horrible sound of an energy weapon being charged.   
  
"Put your hands up NOW, Lekarian." a cold voice commanded. "Tell the Ditto to return into its Pokeball, too."  
  
Duplica was horrified. How did he know that it was a Ditto, her mind screamed. And how could she not see him? Oh God, he must have stealth technology. She slowly raised her hands over her head and bit her lip.   
  
"I know that you're fast, Lekarian, or should I say 'SUPERIOR'." the icy voice continued. "But I'm faster. Try anything funny and I will kill you."  
  
  
* * * *   
  
"There's the dingbat." Ashura said bluntly as a black sports car screeched to a halt before him. Richie leered at him through the windshield. "God does that smirk of his EVER leave his face? Ugh, and that Pikachu of his, what a little terror!" Sparky jumped up onto the dashboard and made a smug face all his own. He put up one of his front paws and began to what seemed like giving Ashura the finger.   
  
"You little yellow pipsqueak!" Ashura raged. "Why don't you come out here and do that to my FACE!?" Richie began to guffaw loudly from inside the car. Sparky cackled madly and made faces through the glass.  
  
The commander thought to himself. Ashura never WAS a man of patience ... or tolerance. But still, his fighting and training skills more than make up for his angry demeanor. His Psionic prowess was probably the best he had ever seen, besides the traitor Jupiter. Ashura was neither just incredibly strong, like Richie, nor just unimaginably fast, like Duplica. He was both. Ashura could outlift Richie and outrun Duplica, which made him the deadliest (and youngest) warrior in The Cause and Team Rocket. Yes, him and his brother will do great things once Operation: Purity went underway.   
  
Richie, however, was a different story. In all his life, Morton had never seen a person as cruel, ruthless, apathetic, murderous, lustful, and overall evil as Richie. Compared to Richie, Ashura's attitude seemed like that of a church-going choir boy. Even though his Psionic abilities were second-rate, his phsyical strength only rivaled that of Ashura's. Richie was known to level entire towns and villages with his Pikachu, Sparky, who was just as bad as him. In his lifetime, Richie had killed a lot of people and raped a lot of women, preferably human.  
  
Morton shuddered involuntarily. Why a Superior like Richie would lust after Inferior girls was beyond his understanding.   
  
The dirty brown-haired boy stepped out from the black sports car with Sparky on his shoulder. The everpresent smirk on his face was wider than usual. The two turned their heads, grinned at each other, and nodded.   
  
Ashura knew this could only mean one thing. "You did it again, didn't you?" he inquired in an angry tone.   
  
Richie pointed to himself. "Guilty as charged." he said smugly. Sparky snickered.  
  
"And I guess in the throes of 'passion' you forgot to pick up Duplica again, didn't you?"  
  
Richie shrugged in a mock-innocent fashion. "Did I do that? Oh well, I guess she'll have to walk, heh heh heh heh heh."  
  
Ashura was about to put ten sizzling holes in Richie's chest when Morton grabbed his arm, just as it was about to unholster his Phase Disruptor.  
  
"Ashura. Don't. Even. Think about it." he ordered. Meanwhile he himself wanted to seriously hurt Richie. I swear, he thought, one of these days Richie's going to say the WRONG thing, and that will be the end of him. Even though Richie was older, taller, and broader than the seemingly diminuative Ashura, Richie was outmatched. Extremely outmatched: Ashura could annihilate him.  
  
Morton's piercing gaze fell upon Richie. "You shouldn't joke around like that with you Tri leader, Richie." he said quietly, but firmly. "Especially with all that talk of you wanting to make a higher rank. And tell me, just why did you have to make that unscheduled detour to that village and 'relieve' yourself?"  
  
Richie's cocky attitude didn't wane. "I was horny, so I went." he said simply.  
  
Ashura turned to face the commander. "Please," he begged, "let me kill him now, sir."  
  
Morton had had about enough. "Alright, STOP IT, you two! Richie, get back in the car, we're going to pick up Duplica and then head for Pallet. Ashura, holster that gun before I break your arm. We're going, KNOW."  
  
Richie only shrugged and climbed into the driver's seat. Sparky hissed at Morton. Ashura reluctantly trudged into the backseat, following Morton.   
  
As they sped off, Morton wondered to himself how those two could be in the same Tri without one killing the other. Morton just shrugged it off and drifted into a peaceful slumber.  
  
* * * *   
  
Two figures jogged through the woods. One had a Pikachu on his right shoulder and an unconscious red-head cradled his arms, plus a tattered old hat on his head. The other had a big, burly twenty year old man slung over his left shoulder and a floating Abra flanked two right.   
  
Ash marveled at his newfound stamina and strength. Depite carrying a one hundred and twenty pound girl and a Pikachu on his shoulder, plus his backpack and everything else, he hadn't even broken a sweat. He smiled inwardly. Maybe there was advantages to this whole Superior thing.   
  
But one thing kept bothering him. What in the hell did Jamie mean when he said "Your mate needs you"?   
  
"Hey Jamie." Ash finally broke the long silence that had gone between the group.   
  
"Yeah?" Jamie asked, a little more curtly than he meant to.  
  
"What's up with this whole 'mate' stuff? And what do you mean by 'me and Misty are mates?'"  
  
Jamie's glowing eyes blinked. "Geez, how many m's do need in one sentence? Oh that? Simple, you smell like it." he replied, like any idiot should know what he was talking about.  
  
"Chu (huh)?  
  
"Oh, well THAT just clears it up!" Ash said sarcastically. "Clear as mud."  
  
"Look, Ash, to explain it to you would require a whole lotta---WAIT!"   
  
Pikachu gave a loud as the two teens skidded to a halt.   
  
Jamie jerked his head back and forth. "Hear that?"  
  
Ash listened around. He was amazed by his hearing. It was as if he had cotton balls in his ears his whole life and someone had just plucked them out. He could even hear the heartbeats of everybody around him.   
  
Just then he heard it. The unmistakable sounds of footsteps. They were getting louder.   
  
"Abra, Abra (someones coming!"  
  
Pikachu sniffed at the air. His eyes widened as he picked up the scent. "Pi Pikachu (aw crap)!"  
  
"To protect the world from devestation." a sultry, seductive voice announced.  
  
Ash groaned loudly. Jamie only stood their and boiled in his own anger.  
  
"To unite all peoples within our nation." a suave, masculine voice replied.  
  
Pikachu gave a sudden growl that caused Ash to jump a few feet into the air.   
  
"To denounce the evils of truth and love."  
  
"To extend our reach to the stars above."  
  
"Jessie!" A strawberry red-haired woman somersaulted onto the path before them.   
  
"James!" A bright purple-haired man jumped right next to the woman.  
  
"Team Rocket"- Jamies red eyes flared at the name - "blast off at the speed of light!"  
  
"Surrender now or prepare to fight!"  
  
"Meowth, dat's right!"  
  
"Team Rocket." the two boys seethed.  
  
"Pikachuuuuuu (unmentionable expletive)."  
  
"Dat's right, twoip!" Meowth crowed. "And we're here to steal all o' ya ---AAAAAHHHHHHHHH! Wha ... what happened ta yer eyes!?"  
  
Jesse and James quickly noticed this and screamed loudly. "THE TWIRP AND HIS CREEPY FRIEND ARE VAMPIRES!" she shrieked.  
  
"Save me Jesse!" James cried. "I don't want to have a vampire's pasty complexion!"  
  
"PIKACHUUUUU (SHUT UP)!!!" Pikachu shouted as he jumped into the air gave the trio a massive Thundershock. The attack brought them down, sizzling like home-cooked bacon.  
  
"Chu, Pikachu (Mmmm, extra crispy)." Pikachu said proudly as he landed onto the forest floor.  
  
Meowth wasn't so optimistic about getting fried. "Ugh, does dat rat always hafta do dat?" Meowth growled as he struggled to stand up.   
  
Ash was not amused. "Call it a habit." he replied coldly.  
  
Jesse and James finally managed to peel themselves off the ground. Before Jesse could open her mouth to protest Ash cut her off.  
  
"Look, guys, I'm in no mood for your bullshit, alright?" Ash said, his voice low and deadly. "So far I've been having the worst night of my life. The last thing I need is for you idiots to screw it up worse than it already is." Jamie said nothing, however the trio was becoming nervous under the boy's murderous scrutiny. It reminded them of an angry Noctowl looking at them like they had "Oscar Mayer" printed on their foreheads.  
  
"Idiots!?" James echoed, caught off guard by the twirp sudden change in vocabulary. "What do you mean, 'idiots'? Do you mean to tell us that you don't take us seriously?" James gave his best puppy-dog eyes. Ash wouldn't go for it.  
  
"Well, DUH!!!" Ash exploded, the stress of the situation taking its toll over his behavior. "Of course I don't take you seriously, I NEVER took you seriously, and I never WILL take you seriously!" Ash's breathing became steadily faster as he insulted the trio. "You are the most pathetic, stupid, useless, good-for-nothing bunch of LOSERS I've ever seen! You three have been a thorn in my side for years and I never want to see you again. Now do the me and the rest of the world a favor and go JUMP OFF A DAMN BRIDGE!"   
  
Jesse, James and Meowth looked as if though they had been slapped. Deep down in their hearts they had always considered Ash and the Twirps old friends. After hearing what Ash had finished telling them, however, they really did feel like jumping off a bridge.   
  
Ash was taken aback by his own words. What was going on? He would never say something like that, even to Team Rocket. Insulting people just wasn't his way. So why all of the sudden was it so easy to put someone down like that?   
  
"Hey, guy's I ..." Ash began.  
  
"No, you're right, Twirp." Jesse cut him off, a single tear trickling down her face. "You're absolutely right. We HAVE been a thorn in your side, haven't we, guys?" James and Meowth gave small nods. "Always trying to steal your Pikachu, always ruining your day ... hell, I'd hate myself."  
  
She and her other two teammates turned their backs to Ash. "Let's go now, Jesse, Meowth." James said sullenly. "We will never bother you again."  
  
"Guy's, wait!" Ash cried out.  
  
The tro zipped around with big smiles on their faces. "YES!?"   
  
Ash would've anime fell if he wasn't carrying Misty. "You mean that you weren't really -----OOOHHHH!" Team Rocket grinned playfully. Then their grins disappeared when they saw that the brown haired boy was still glaring malicously at them.  
  
"God, how do I say this ... Jesse, James, Meowth, I need your help."  
  
The team's eyes widened. The twirp barely ever called for their help. It was just unheard of! But when he did, it was usually something of great importance. They smiled triumphantly.  
  
"We're all ears, twoip!" Meowth crowed, giving the peace sign. "Let's hear it!"  
  
As Ash explained the situation to them, neither one of them, not even Abra, knew that a black figure hiding in the darkness of the trees was watching them. Waiting for the perfect moment to go for the kill. 


	5. New Friends and New Enemies

Ash's Gift By MegamanZero Part 5: New Friends and New Enemies nmc_512@yahoo.com AAMRN  
  
Ash: 15 Misty: 16 Brock: 20 Todd: 16 Jamie:16 Gary: 16 Jesse and James: 21 Richie: 17 Ashura: 15 Commander Slade Morton: 33  
  
  
  
A/N: Sorry about the typo on the last chapter. No, IT was NOT PART ONE. That's why they call it a typo. Yes, I'm aware that I didn't add a disclaimer on part four either, so I'll have to do double the disclaiming on this one. I am also aware that I've been misspelling the name of a certain Pokemon (gasps). That is a typo as well. Don't worry all you purists out there, I will correct this "terrible" error and I hope you can forgive me _. Oh yeah, I've also deciding not to do any more story recaps, they're getting to be a pain in the ass to  
  
think of. Furthermore, I don't want to see any flames about Duplica and Ash  
  
hooking up! This is an AAMRN, dammit! Be patient! Flames on this subject will be used to burn the people who send them.  
  
Disclaimer: All characters (except for my originals) are sole property of Creatures and Gamefreak, blah blah blah.  
  
Still Disclaiming: This is the difference between fantasy and reality. In my fantasy world, I own Pokemon and I'm rolling in green right now. In reality I DON'T. I hope you have learned a valuable lesson.  
  
* * * *  
  
"That's right, just keep those hands up." the cold voice continued. "Think you can move faster than laser?"  
  
Duplica shook with fear. One of the things she hated was being held at gunpoint from behind. It was a horrifying thing to think about, not being able to see the gun, never knowing when the gunman will decide to pull the trigger. Then another thought clicked into her head.  
  
Wait a hot tick! What am I so afraid of? I'm a Lekarian, a Superior for Christ sake! I fear no bounty hunter, especially ones that are too cowardly to confront me face to face. But still, how did he know what I really am? Her heart sank when she thought of the answer.  
  
He was with wasn't just any old bounty hunter. He was an Elite; one of Silph's top operatives. Only Silph agents knew of her kind's true origins. Elites were so well trained with Psi that they could very well deal with just about any  
  
Superior.  
  
Damn Siplh! she cursed. Figures that I would be the first one to be captured!  
  
"And don't even think about turning around." the Elite warned. "I know what you Lekarians are capable of. I am very well aware that you need to have visual contact with a target before you can use a Psionic technique."  
  
Duplica shifted around in place. "If I am to be taken in," she said, "then I should at least know the name of my captor."  
  
The Elite gave a warm smile. He did a little bow while keeping his gun trained on her. "Todd Tooru at your service, madam." he said sweetly. His smile faded back into its usual scowl, his voice sunk back down into a rasp. "Now lets go, I'm getting a huge bonus in pay for bringing a Tri member in, so I'll try not to rough you up TOO bad."  
  
"Where's your partner, human?" she inquired, her confidence coming back to her. "All Elites have partners. Shouldn't he be helping you with the likes of me?"  
  
Todd snorted. "You flatter yourself, Lekarian. Partner or not, I'm still just as dangerous to you as ever. The whereabouts of my partner are none of YOUR concern." He gave a tired sigh. "But if you must know, he is taking care of the Ultimate right now."  
  
Duplica's heart jumped into her throat. "You're going to kill him ... aren't you?" she whispered. "You're going to murder him."  
  
"Not me." Todd sneered. "Definitely not I. However, I can't say the same about my partner." His eyes flared blue for a moment as his Psi levels raised with his anger. A sudden gust of Psi wind nearly blew Duplica off her feet. "And it's NOT murder. It's called 'saving the world'. Saving him from beings like YOU who want to use him to destroy all humanity! He cannot be allowed to live."  
  
Todd calmed down a bit, then he started to insult her. "And don't you dare call us murderers. Your whole damn SPECIES is made up of murderers. You are the epitome of killing. You are the ... "  
  
"Shut UP!!" she roared. "I hate killing, I HATE IT! Don't you EVER call me the epitome of killing!"  
  
Suddenly, her attitude changed. She gave a sinister smile. A little intimidation was all it took. "But don't think I won't kill you to escape, human." she said in her sweetest, deadliest voice. "Don't believe for one moment that just because I hate taking life away, that I won't take yours in defense of myself. And don't think I won't take the life of your partner for trying to eliminate the Ultimate."  
  
"You talk big," he commented, slightly caught off guard, "for one who is about to be taken in to her execution, and an Ion Disruptor trained on her head."  
  
Duplica's eyes went as big as saucers. That settled it, she was GOING to escape. She WOULD be free. An Ion Disruptor was the strongest pistol in the world. It made her Phase Disruptor look like a peashooter. She began to concentrate her Psi into the air around her, making it dense and thick.  
  
The sinister smile returned once more. "Just one more thing," she said in a  
  
seductive voice. "Before you take me in, big boy, I just have one thing to tell you."  
  
Todd blinked in confusion, he was noticing that his gun hand was trembling involuntarily. "Yes, and what's that?"  
  
Duplica flared her Psionic aura. "THINK FAST!"  
  
She shot her Psi from under her, rocket-propelling her off the ground and into the sky in one huge jump. With unimaginable speed, she began to zip around in the air, her glowing aura making her look like a humanoid light bulb.  
  
Todd uttered a loud curse and began shooting at her with the Ion Disruptor. The shots sizzled and cracked in the air. Duplica feinted around them like they were harmless fireflies. She moved so fast it seemed as though there was more than one of her. Todd was confused; no matter how much he shot at her, or no matter how good of a shot he was, he just couldn't make a hit.  
  
Then he inwardly smacked himself. It was the work of Psi. The little bitch had used her Psi to make the air thicker around the shots so they would go much  
  
slower than they would have. Her technique boggled his mind to think that she was good enough could follow the shots and thicken the air around him to make them go slower. It was incredible. But the time to marvel at her strength was not now.  
  
"You think you Lekarians are the only ones who can use Psi!?" he raged up at her, holstering his gun. "Think again." He began to concentrate his own Psi, pushing it under himself and forcing him off the pavement. His aura exploded outward as he shot into the air. He was angry.  
  
Duplica halted in mid air. "You're pretty good!" Duplica complimented as he rose to her height. "If I wasn't so fast I would've been shot down by now. But that doesn't matter! You will die tonight, human." The two fighters put their hands up into a fighting stance. Anybody watching them would have seen two teenagers floating above the trees.  
  
Todd gave a loud cry as he shot towards the glowing girl. He began to throw out a seemingly unstoppable flurry of punches and kicks. The girl only gave a wide smile as she effortlessly dodged, blocked and parried every single blow that came to her. He wasn't so tough, she decided. I almost died the last time I  
  
faced off against an Elite, but this one has to be the weakest one I've ever fought. He can't even land a single blow on me! I'm way too fast for him, and there's no doubt in my mind that my martial arts technique is better than his.  
  
Her smile remained on her face as she gave a lightning fast round kick to his left flank. It was so fast that he didn't even have time to see it coming, much less avoid it. He gave a loud grunt as the kick made contact, sending him reeling off into the air. It felt like someone slamming a sledgehammer into him.  
  
He angrily clutched his side. "God," he groaned to himself, "if I don't rethink my strategy I really am going to die tonight. How was I supposed to know that she was THAT fast!?"  
  
Duplica crossed her arms impatiently. "Well?" she shouted. "I'm waiting! Or is the mighty Elite afraid of fighting a little girl like me?""  
  
Todd stared in disbelief. She was mocking him. The little bitch was mocking him. How dare she make sport of him! He would show her, oh yes, he would show her just what an Elite could do!  
  
He grinned slyly as he began to descend back onto the pavement. When in doubt, he thought, use your Pokemon! He pulled out one of his Pokeballs.  
  
"Go, Scizor!" he shouted. The crimson bug Pokemon appeared with a loud "ZOR!" "Fight speed with speed!"  
  
Duplica quickly descended back to the ground. "So, you wanna turn this into a Pokemon match, hmmm?" she taunted. "Can't do your own dirty work, so you have to have your Pokemon do it for you? Well, fine, two can play that game. Go, Ditto!"  
  
With a red flash, Ditto materialized itself in front of its trainer. "Ditto!" it cried.  
  
Duplica sneered at him. "You had leverage over me when you had me at gunpoint from behind, but now that we're fighting face to face, things are a lot different, aren't they? Ditto, Transform!"  
  
Ditto glowed white and began to morph. But it didn't transform into Todd's Scizor. It Transformed into Duplica.  
  
Todd's eyes bulged outward. "What the ..." he gasped. "That's not possible!  
  
Dittos can only Transform into Pokemon!"  
  
"Scizor?" The red Pokemon didn't know what to think.  
  
Duplica's eyes gave a deadly gleam. "Oh, is that so?" she inquired, raising her eyebrow. "Show's how much you know of the power of a Ditto. Or a Superior."  
  
Todd was seething. "Will you just stop calling yourself that stupid name!?" he exploded. "You are a Lekarian, Lekarian, Lekarian!"  
  
Duplica ignored him. "Remember," she said, "Ditto can only use techniques that the subject knows. Just think of this as an example of how dangerous I really am. Ditto?"  
  
Ditto/Duplica eyes wouldn't leave its crimson target. "Yeah?" it answered.  
  
"It ... can ... talk." Todd breathed.  
  
Duplica pointed at the Scizor. "Use our Mind Flare move, now!" A blue aura, much like the one that surrounded Duplica, appeared around the Transformed Pokemon. The light from the aura became so bright it illuminated the area around them. The Scizor cried out in pain and covered its eyes. Todd clutched his own eyes. If it weren't for the ocular implants, he knew his eyes would've been permanently damaged.  
  
"Scizor, use your Slash attack!" he ordered. The Scizor wouldn't obey, however. Through a blur, Todd watched as his Pokemon stumbled around aimlessly, slashing around wildly. It was blind.  
  
"DAMMIT!" Todd cursed. Things weren't looking good at this point. "Scizor, return!" The blinded Pokemon was teleported back to its Pokeball while Todd  
  
fumbled around for another. One of my strongest Pokemon, he thought bitterly, put out of commission with a single attack. "Lekarian scum!" A haunted look  
  
spread over his face. He had only brought one Pokeball. He wanted to kick himself, how could he have been so careless!?  
  
Duplica smiled even wider. "It looks like you're out of Pokemon." she observed. She cracked her knuckles as well as her neck. "And out of luck." she added as an afterthought. "Ditto, return!" With a flash of red, the shape shifting Pokemon returned to its Pokeball.  
  
Todd whipped his Ion Disruptor pistol out of its holster and began to fire wildly. He was desperate, he had no more Pokemon, and she had him up against the ropes. It was impossible. He had her, and then he lost her, in mere seconds. She had really turned the tables on him. Now it was HIM fighting for HIS life.  
  
Duplica used the same Psionic technique she had used before by thickening the air around the laser shots, using her own unfathomable speed to dodge the glowing shots with ease. Then she focused her Psi on the gun. It combusted into flame.  
  
The the Silph Elite roared in pain as the exploding weapon seared his hands and hurt his eyes even more. It streamed through his mind over and over. Mere seconds, mere seconds, mere seconds ...  
  
Duplica's aura charged up once more, her eyes glowing a bright blue. Her smile had left her face; it was completely devoid of emotion. A Superior's face. "I've decided to spare your life, human. Inferior." She let the word linger for a  
  
while so it would sink in. "But only if you agree to not hurt the Ultimate. I'm giving you a choice, make it quick."  
  
Todd stared at her for the longest time. He didn't know how long, and neither did she. He opened his mouth with parched lips.  
  
"... never." he rasped.  
  
Not a shred of emotion showed on the girl's face. "Then you leave me no choice." she answered in a hollow voice. She lifted her hand and pointed her palm at the teen. A blue ball of light began to form in her hand. It started out Pokeball size, then instantly grew into the size of a regular beach ball. She stared  
  
directly into his eyes.  
  
"I'm sorry," she whispered. She released the ball. It hit the boy dead on. He didn't even make a sound as the blast slammed into his body. A blinding flash of light burst outward from the explosion. Duplica shielded her eyes with her forearms.  
  
When the light and smoke cleared, there was nothing. Todd was gone. Not a trace of him left. A single tear trickled down the girl's cheek. She hated killing, but she loved Ash more. She had to find him quickly. To warn him, protect him. To save him from the Elite's partner.  
  
With an explosion of blue light, the girl zipped off into the woods in search for the Ultimate.  
  
Little did she know that the Elite wasn't really dead. Oh no, he was very much alive. Even though he barely had time to put up a Psi shield strong enough to withstand the blast, he was still alive. He used his stealth module to make it seem like she had blown him into oblivion, but she didn't.  
  
Todd gave a soft moan as he struggled to stand up. "You ... Lekarian bitch." He rasped weakly. "I'll ... get you ... for this ... (cough cough) ... the Ultimate ... (cough) WILL die."  
  
* * * *  
  
"You're different, Ash."  
  
Ash, Misty, Jamie, Brock, and the Pokemon waited in the clearing for the trio to return with their balloon. After Ash had explained the situation to them, they instructed him to wait in the clearing until they came back with the balloon. Misty had regained consciousness shortly after, and he explained the situation to her as well. Brock didn't wake up. Ash was kind of glad that he didn't have to tell Brock everything all over again. In a way, it was actually better that Brock didn't wake up for a while.  
  
Ash and Misty were confused. "How is Ash different, Jamie?" Misty asked.  
  
"Yeah, how am I different?" Ash inquired.  
  
Jamie smirked. "I don't think Misty needs an echo, Ashy-Boy." Ash winced at the name. Jamie became more serious as he spoke. "Ok, first I'll point out the obvious. Every one of my kind has red eyes." He pointed at Ash. "Yours are brown."  
  
"Second," he continued, "Your Psi signature is like nothing I've ever seen or felt before."  
  
Ash blinked. "Psi?" he said dumbly.  
  
Jamie slapped his forehead. "Whoops, I almost forgot that you're new at this. Here, it's best if I give you guys a little visual."  
  
He made a fist and pointed his index finger at the two. Abra just stood by him and watched solemnly. Ash, Misty and Pikachu looked like they were watching the previews of some movie.  
  
As if some kind of light was switched on inside his finger, the tip began to glow a madder red. The glow soon swelled outward into a shining red ball. Ash's eyes widened; Misty gasped; Pikachu gave a surprised and confused "Chu!"  
  
The only time Ash had ever seen something like this was when he first met Sabrina, the powerful Psychic that ran the Saffron City Gym. He remembered the shock when she transformed his friends into little dolls, ones that uncannily resembled voodoo dolls.  
  
Misty was having similar thoughts. Thoughts of being transformed into an inanimate object with the very same power Jamie was showing them. She shuddered at the thought, the thought of being a doll forever, never able to see Ash again.  
  
"Stop it." Misty demanded. "STOP IT!"  
  
Jamie didn't look the least bit offended. He just gave her an understanding look and watched the glowing ball disappear from his finger.  
  
"So," he inquired. "I take it you guys have had a bad experience with this stuff?"  
  
The three were taken aback. How did he know that?  
  
Ash gave him an incredulous look. "How do you ... know that?"  
  
Jamie sighed. "God, how do I put this into words?" he asked, mostly to himself. Ash swatted a bug that landed on his neck. Jamie's eyes brightened. "Ah, I know!"  
  
He smeared some of the bug guts on the same finger he used to make the ball. Misty gave an involuntary shudder while muttering something about hating bugs. "Everyone has Psi." he explained. "It's the only reason that you're alive. It's the essence of life. You use it all the time." He looked at Ash then pointed at the bug entrails on his finger. "You've just used it to smash this poor soul into guts. You use it every time you breathe, you use it every time you speak, you use it every time your heart beats. You use it every time you move."  
  
"There is, however, more than one way to use Psi." he continued. "You can project it out of your body to influence the world around you. What you saw me do was just an alternate way of using your own life force."  
  
Jamie gave a disgusted look. "There are a lotta weirdo religious freaks out  
  
there who either think it doesn't exist, or that you gotta be a super holy person in order to use it. Psh, that's all a buncha crap. Projecting Psi out of my body is no different from just using my hand."  
  
"Psi is easy enough to learn but impossible to master. Kinda like Pokemon training."  
  
This immediately clicked with Ash's confused brain. "Ohhh, I get it now!" he beamed.  
  
Just like Ash to relate everything to Pokemon, Misty thought fondly.  
  
Then she finally got a good look at him and blushed deeply. She had never noticed this before, but with most of his clothes blown away to shreds, (A/N: No, she can't see his ding-a-ling, perverts. Get your mind outta the gutter!) he looked GOOD. Misty had never realized how well toned his body was. It was just like Jamie's, only slightly less muscular and more real.  
  
Oh my God, she thought, when did Ash become so RIPPED!? And since when did his butt get so CUTE!?  
  
Jamie looked sharply and raised his eyebrow. "You seem to be enjoying the fact that Ash doesn't have many clothes on." he observed.  
  
Misty glared daggers at the boy. "JAMIE!" she wailed. "I do NOT enjoy the fact that Ash is unfathomably sexy!"  
  
Pikachu looked like he had just seen a ghost. Ash looked the same. Jamie was trying his not cackle like a madman.  
  
"No, that's not what I meant!" Misty protested, trying to recover what dignity she had left. "What I meant to say is ... um ... what I'm trying to ... you didn't hear that ... LEAVE ME ALONE!" Misty was practically in tears. Ash still looked shell-shocked.  
  
Jamie gave a sly smile. "Right, Mist." he muttered. "You just keep on lying to yourself."  
  
Misty's glare would have frightnened a Houndoom. "WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY!!?"  
  
"Oh my God, it's so freaking obvious!" Jamie exploded, his glowing eyes flashing outward. "The way that you look at each other, the unmentionable thoughts you have about one another ... face it. You both want each other more than a Snorlax wants its sleep."  
  
Ash instantly recovered from his shocked state as he took on a haunted look. "Did you ... say ... thoughts?"  
  
Jamie mentally slapped his forehead. Whoops, busted.  
  
Misty looked like she was going to faint. "Thoughts ... wait a minute ... that can only mean ... oh my God, Jamie can you READ OUR MINDS!?"  
  
"Pika cha chu ka Pikachu (what in the holy hell)!?" Pikachu exclaimed, almost on the verge of Thundershocking the group out of his own surprise.  
  
Jamie looked at themn nervously. They were waiting for an answer. "Um ..." he began, " ...well, um, sort of."  
  
Misty was furious. She hated the thought of having someone else sticking his nose into her head. "WHAT DO MEAN, 'SORT OF'!?" she raged.  
  
"Ok ok, let me explain!" he protested, put his arms up in front of himself protectively. Even with all his strength, speed, martial arts skills and Psionic prowess, Misty could still succeed in scaring the everlasting piss out of him.  
  
"Alright, first off, let me tell you that I can't read your most secret, subconscious thoughts. I can only scratch the surface, see what you're thinking at that moment."  
  
He sighed when the three began to calm down a little. "That's the power of Psi. You can use it to read minds, amplify your strength and speed, heighten your senses, sharpen your reflexes, even fly short distances. The possibilities are limitless. Now please stop looking like a bunch of flustered ninnies."  
  
Misty looked into Ash's eyes. God, they were so beautiful. She almost got lost in them. "Ash, do you really think of me that way?"  
  
Ash turned red. "Well, um, yeah Mist. I DO think that you're the most beautiful girl I've ever had the pleasure of meeting." Ash gazed right back at her, his eyes drinking in her lovely features. "Do YOU think of me that way?"  
  
Misty pulled out her mallet and whacked him on the head. Ash only stood there; to his surprise, he didn't feel any pain at all. It felt like getting struck with a feather.  
  
"Of course I feel that way about you, you idiot!" she yelled. Just then her face became sad and worried. "And when that PokeBomb hit you dead on, I was so scared that I would find you dead." Their faces inched closer, their noses almost touching. "I can't stand the thought of being without you, Ash. I never want to lose you."  
  
"Misty, I lo ..."  
  
TSEEEEWWWWWW!  
  
Everybody cried out in surprise as a flash of white light shot towards the ground before them. Grass and leaves popped off the ground with the shot, leaving a single burning hole in the forest floor.  
  
The group looked in shock to see a teenager wearing a black uniform materialize in front of them. He had spikey auburn hair and deep blue eyes. He had a strange weapon trained on them.  
  
The teen opened his mouth. "Hey, loser." he sneered.  
  
Ash looked horrified. "No ... its not ... it can't be you ..." he sputtered.  
  
"By the way." the boy continued, pulling something out of a side pack. It was a tattered Pokemon league cap, slightly burned. "You dropped your hat. 


	6. Ashura's Transformation

Ash's Gift By MegamanZero Part Six: Ashura's Transformation nmc_512@yahoo.com AAMRN  
  
Ash: 15 Misty: 16 Brock: 20 Todd: 16 Jamie: 16 Gary: 16 Jesse and James: 21 Richie: 17 Ashura: 15 Commander Slade Morton: 33  
  
* * * *  
  
"She's not here." Ashura whispered as he stood on the rendezvous point where Duplica was supposed to await pickup. "That can only mean one thing."  
  
Richie and Sparky only lounged in the driver's seat, apathetic to a fault. Richie's feet rested on the dashboard. Sparky idly scratched at the leather upholstery. The commander snored softly in the backseat.  
  
"Elites." the Tri whispered through gritted teeth. "She must have been captured by a Silph Elite. Only an Elite can take down a Tri member."  
  
"So ... she's gone ..." he said softly, mostly to himself. He stared off into the road like a zombie. No, he thought to himself, DON'T CRY. You will never cry, NEVER!  
  
"That's DEFINITELY not the case, Lekarian." a tired, low voice rasped from the darkness of the woods surrounding them.  
  
The young Lekarian spun around in the direction of the mysterious voice. The voice didn't seem physical; it was like hearing it inside of his own mind. "Show yourself, coward!" Ashura shouted into the darkness, his Psionic aura flaring brightly. "Where are you hiding?"  
  
"Show myself?" the strange mind-voice echoed. "And give my position away to a perpetually angry Tri member? I think not. I have learned that the hard way."  
  
Ashura concentrated his Psi. "You're injured." he observed. "How did a great Elite such as yourself become injured? And how is it that I can't sense your position?"  
  
"Mind block." the voice answered simply. "Quite a handy technique. I should've used it in the battle against that green-haired Tri."  
  
Ashura's eyes widened. "You fought against my Duplica?" he asked angrily. "If you've hurt her in any way, I swear human, I'll ..."  
  
"Relax, scum." the cold mental voice chided in a cruel tone. "I wasn't able to lay a finger on her. She is quite fast; faster than me, I might add."  
  
"Of course she is." Ashura sneered with relish. "She is a Tri, human. A Third Class Elite such as yourself wouldn't stand a chance against a warrior like my Duplica."  
  
"You say 'my Duplica' like you own the girl, Lekarian. I find that very ... amusing."  
  
"She is my mate." Ashura answered proudly. "Now where has she gone? Answer me or I will destroy everything in a half-mile radius! I know that one must be close to the person in order to use telepathy. You are bound to be near."  
  
"Before you kill me, Lekarian, I have some information that you might find, well, interesting." Todd told Ashura's mind. "It's about your 'mate' and the Ultimate."  
  
Ashura was puzzled. He didn't like to be caught off guard, especially by a human. "What are you babbling about, Inferior?"  
  
Todd gave an evil grin from his hiding spot in the branches as he continued with the telepathic conversation. "It struck me somewhat odd to find that 'your Duplica' was a tad bit too, how you say ... zealous about stopping me and my partner from killing the Ultimate."  
  
"She was merely doing her duty, you stupid human." Ashura spat. "I'd act the same as well. He is my brother after all, and we DO need him to wipe your filthy race off the face of the Earth."  
  
"Oh, was she?" Todd asked calmly. "Tell me, Lekarian, have you two Psionically bonded yet?" Todd's evil grin widened.  
  
Ashura was confused, and angry. "What does that have to do with anything, human?" he snapped.  
  
"Answer my question, please."  
  
"Well, not that it is any of your damn business, no; we haven't bonded yet. Now why are you bombarding me with these stupid questions?"  
  
Todd gave a knowing sigh. "Ah, then that explains it." he said sagely. "That explains why you can't sense it."  
  
Ashura was a hair close to making good on his promise to destroy everything within a half-mile radius. What was this filthy human getting at?  
  
"What are you insinuating?"  
  
Todd gave a humorless laugh. "Humph, and you Lekarians say to be mentally superior to us, as your namesake dictates. Can't you see? Are you so blind that you can't see the forest for the trees? Your 'mate' is in love with the Ultimate."  
  
Ashura snorted. "I don't have time for this nonsense, human. Now just sit tight and wait to be blown into a million pieces!" Impossible. Duplica would not, COULD not, fall in love with my brother! Absolutely ridiculous!  
  
Todd ignored Ashura's threats. "Don't you find it strange that for all this time she has been hiding something from you? I know you can sense that much, but you can never tell what it really is. You can't stand it, it's driving you mad. I have just answered the question that you've asked yourself every night for the past three years."  
  
Todd gave another humorless chuckle. "It looks like there's trouble in paradise."  
  
Ashura was enraged. "SHUT UP!" he roared, firing an anger-filled Psi blast into the trees. "GET OUT OF MY HEAD, YOU FILTHY INFERIOR!" His chest was heaving, his pulse was pounding. He could feel the anger boiling up inside of him, not just of what he knew to be true, but of the one thing that he would never admit it to himself. But what really angered him was that a lowly human did what he couldn't do; face the truth. Or better yet, face the truth FOR him. His aura flared like a supernova, illuminating the forest in an angry blue light. Pebbles and fragments of broken pavement levitated and hovered all around him. Richie and Sparky cried out in surprise as the car windows shattered.  
  
The commander jolted out of his slumber as he felt a shower of broken glass sprinkle over his body. Then a feeling of dread crept over him as he sensed Ashura's Psi.  
  
Anger.  
  
It pulsed and writhed through the boy's body, electrifying every one of his nerve endings with deadly need. Morton was terrified. "Oh God no, he breathed. "If he gets any angrier he will go into the ...  
  
As if something snapped inside him, Ashura let loose a primal roar.  
  
... Rage."  
  
Ashura's aura exploded outward like a bomb. It changed from blue to red, giving the whole area the color of blood. His muscles bulged outward, pulsing with blood, the sinew stretched tight from underneath his skin. His eyes glowed red.  
  
An invisible force, like that of a raging tsunami, filled the air, sending the car reeling over onto its side. Trees toppled over, the pavement cracked and broke just as the car windows had. The commander and the two others felt like their bones would shatter inside their bodies.  
  
Ashura was caught in a maelstrom of primal fury. A feeling of hatred as deep as the darkness of his heart washed over him like corrupted water. It was agony, yet the pleasure was undeniable. Strangly, he didn't feel the expected urge to rip something apart. He felt a strange calm; he was at peace. Unfortunately, it was only the calm before the storm.  
  
The boy grinned widely at his power. Such force, such energy; it surged through every cell in his body and seemed to ignite his very soul. He felt as light as a feather, yet at the same time knowing that he could crack diamond in the palm of his hand just as easily as talc.  
  
Just then it hit Ashura with the shocking force of revelation. With such raw power at his disposal, who needs the Ultimate? Why wait another three years for a new living weapon and the destruction of the human race, when they, HE, could just do it right now? It was the perfect time, the perfect place.  
  
The perfect one.  
  
Morton was on the verge of wetting his uniform bottoms.It wasn't the Rage. Oh no; it was something else. It was the cause of all of the commander's nightmares for over ten years. The one thing that he feared the most. Ashura had just done something that no other Lekarian had done in over ten thousand years.  
  
He had entered the Dark Rage; a mysterious counterpart to the Rage. Instead of being triggered by pure anger, it was brought upon by hate, hurt, and sorrow. Of course, this could only be done if the subject was one of extreme power.  
  
Could it be true? Could Ashura have obtained more power than the Ultimate himself?  
  
The commander knew of only one thing to do; to use the power of the Ragana. Only the Ragana could stop Ashura now. He pulled out the Ragana that he kept in a secret pocket of his uniform. The commander hated using it, but he had no choice.  
  
The Ragana was terrible weapon of mass destruction. It didn't look menacing at all; merely a simple-looking silver rod-like object. Yet it had the power to destroy entire cities and control the elements. It locked on to the Psi of the wielder, bonded with it, then amplified the user's Psi a thousand-fold. Their were legends that the Ragana had a mind of its own, it chose its users, not the other way around.  
  
The commander sighed. Thank God that the Ragana chose HIM.  
  
He leapt out of the overturned car and in front of the shining boy. He held his Ragana out in front of him in terrified defiance.  
  
"Ashura ..." Morton's shaking voice rivaled that of his legs. " ... don't make me use this ..."  
  
Ashura blinked once, than grimaced. Morton flinched; it was the kind of grimace that made grown men scream for their mommies and hide under the covers. The glowing teen steadly advanced toward the shaking commander.  
  
The commander waved his Ragana. A wall of fire that seemed to erupt from the ground itself was erected between the two. Morton winced back and shielded his face with his hand. Even though Superiors had a high endurance for fire, the head was becoming unbearable. Morton was using most of his Psi to shield himself from combusting into flame. He looked down to see his black boots oozing and melting all over the pavement. The asphalt under the wall followed suit as well, going from a dirty black to a glowing, quivering orange.  
  
Ashura cackled madly as he floated right through the fire that could melt rock. He lifted his arm and pointed his index finger at the shaking commander. A glowing red ball formed on his fingertip.  
  
His lips opened. "Bang." he whispered, just before the Psi ball was released from his finger.  
  
* * * *  
  
A sick feeling suddenly surged through the group. All heads jerked towards the direction the feeling was emanating. In foolish negligance, the barrel of Gary's pistol wandered away from its target. Jamie quickly noticed this. He saw he chance.  
  
Jamie focused his Psi onto the gun that Gary held. It exploded into shrapnel. Gary cried out in surprise and in pain as the metal shards lodged themselves into his hand. He clutched it in agony. His guard was down. Jamie struck.  
  
He moved like lightning. Jamie ripped out an unstoppable onslaught of punches and kicks, all charged with Psi. Gary gave grunts of pain as blow after agonizing blow connected with what seemed to be every inch of his body. Not even a single nook or cranny was left untouched from Jamie's assault. With what sounded like a war cry, Jamie thrust a smashing palm strike into Gary's chest, slamming him against a tree. The tree trunk snapped and fell forward from the sheer force.  
  
Jamie proudly dusted his hands off and gave a wide grin of satisfaction. With a wave of his finger, Ash's hat flew from Gary's hand into his. Jamie turned around and tossed it to the raven-haired boy.  
  
"I believe this is yours." he said with his infamous Colgate smiles as the cap landed into Ash's hands.  
  
Ash, Misty and Pikachu stared at him in awe. They never knew that Jamie could fight like THAT. His form made him look like an old pro. Abra danced behind them and chanted Jamie's name in Poke language like a cheerleader. Ash lovingly thrust his hat onto his head.  
  
"How did you do that!?" the three demanded in their own tongue. Jamie grinned even wider.  
  
"I can't help it." he boasted, double punching in the air. "I guess I just have mad skills."  
  
His grin jolted into an expression of shell-shocked pain as he felt a foot smash into the back of his head. No one else saw it coming. A blow to his kidney, then a knee to his spine followed the kick. Suddenly he felt an extreme burning sensation as he was rocket-propelled into Ash and Misty. Gary had shot him in the back with a Psi blast.  
  
Ash threw himself over Misty's frightened form. He knew that if he didn't, Jamie would crush her. He gritted his teeth and grunted loudly as he took the full brunt of the flying Jamie.  
  
The three bodies crashed together, forming a tangled mass of arms and legs. Two of them were squirming to escape the pile; one lay still.  
  
"Jamie?" Misty shook the brown haired boy by the shoulders. He didn't budge. "JAMIE!"  
  
She looked up and glared daggers at Gary. "Why are you doing this?" she cried, in tears at seeing her friend being brutally assaulted.  
  
Gary sneered as he softly nursed his wounded hand. "He was in my way." he said coldly. "The real target is sitting right next to you."  
  
Misty's look of hatred became deeper. "How could you do this, Gary? I've always thought even YOU could never sink this low."  
  
Jamie stirred. "Quit your fretting, Mist. The J-Man's okay." Ash and Misty's look of awe returned as the seemingly terminally injured boy flipped up into the air and onto his feet. He rubbed the back of his head. "Just caught me by surprise, is all." He crouched into his fighting stance. "You ruined my best shirt, ya dousche-bag!"  
  
Gary smirked. "Sorry, Runaway, but right now I just don't have the time for you. Maybe later, though."  
  
"Guys, stand back." Jamie ordered, his fighting stance deepening. "This won't take long."  
  
"We'll see about that, Lekarian." Gary replied smugly.  
  
Gary lifted both of his hands and began to fire small, weak Psi blasts at Jamie. The other three behind Jamie leapt out of the way as Jamie began blocking the surprisingly feeble shots.  
  
Jamie laughed as he effortlessly blocked the blue streams of light. "HAH! What the hell kinda weak blasts are THOSE!?"  
  
Gary only grinned. The weak shots were merely a distraction. Just a little diversion for the Inhibition Collar.  
  
"EAT THIS!" Gary shouted as he hurled a crescent moon-shaped object with his good hand at the defender. Jamie never saw it coming.  
  
In the midst of trying to defend himself from the harmless yet stinging shots, Jamie failed to notice the Inhibition Collar. It latched onto his neck with a loud 'SNAP!' Immediately, Jamie began to notice just how rapidly his energy was leaving him; he felt sluggish, weak. He attempted to focus his Psi, but only tapped an empty well; it was as if nothing was there. He tried in vain to break the collar off his neck, only to find that his vast amount of strength had left him as well. His legs felt like jelly, his head felt twice as heavy than it once was. Finally he couldn't stand any longer; he collapsed.  
  
Jamie mentally kicked himself as he dropped to the ground. Dammit, Jamie, why couldn't you see it coming? You shouldn't have been worrying about defense, should've gone for the offensive again! Great, now I'm helpless, up shit creek without even a paddle! Oh man, so sleepy ... NO! Gotta stay awake ... eyes are so heavy ... maybe just a little nap ... dammit STAY UP!! Can't move ... can barely breathe ... feel like I weigh a ton. Sorry Misty, Ash, Brock ... gotta sleep now ...  
  
Jamie lost consciousness.  
  
* * * *  
  
The trees whizzed by her as if she was in some kind of time warp, her hair blown behind her. To the naked eye one would only see a shining blue blur. It was, in fact, Duplica, running faster than she ever had in her entire life.  
  
Duplica raced through the woods like a bullet. At this point, she had devoted most of her Psi to her speed, and had a small amount reserved for sensing Ash's Psi. She had to be careful of her Psi management, lest she keeled over and dropped dead.  
  
I have to find Ash, she thought, before the Elite gets to him first. Thoughts swirled through her mind as she sped through the forest. What will Ash think when he sees me like this? Does he already know what he is? What about the Runaway?  
  
You think too much. Ditto remarked telepathically from inside its Pokeball.  
  
I think because I worry. Duplica replied.  
  
It's not going to matter. When Aries learns what he truly is, he will hate you for telling him. You know, the whole kill-the-messenger rule?  
  
You're not helping, Ditto. she thought fiercely. Ash will NOT hate me. He's better than that.  
  
How many times do I have to remind you that that's not his real ... HOLD IT!  
  
Duplica nearly tripped over a root as she skidded to a halt. She had put up so much momentum that she almost flew forward. What is it?  
  
Widen your Psi range, Duplica. Don't you feel it?  
  
Duplica calmed herself and focused. A horrible feeling then jolted through her. She gave a loud * UGH! * and vomited all over the ground.  
  
... disgusting. But then again, I'd throw up too if I wasn't in this Pokeball.  
  
Oh God, what WAS that?" Duplica mentally screamed.  
  
I don't know, Duplica. Ditto replied, wishing it could provide a better answer. But whatever it is, it's powerful ... and evil.  
  
Duplica shuddered as she felt the feeling getting stronger and more intense. "Oh shit, it's getting closer!" she yelled, this time out loud. She crouched into her fighting stance.  
  
Ditto suddenly flashed out of its Pokeball and Transformed into Duplica. "Then we best start running!"  
  
"What are you doing out?" she demanded.  
  
"There's no way that I'm going to kick back and relax in my Pokeball while you're out here being in danger! Don't you see, you can't take it on by yourself, not even both of us can take it on together! We're leaving."  
  
Duplica brought herself back to reality. Of COURSE she couldn't just wait for this unimaginably powerful force to just come and get her. Fighting it would be like a Pichu trying to tackle a Ursaring. She HAD to run.  
  
Duplica turned to her Pokemon. "Let's go." she said.  
  
Ditto nodded and raced off with her into the darkness, knowing deep down that tonight was going to be a night full of terrors. 


	7. Shocking Truths and Terrible Alliances

Ash's Gift  
By MegamanZero  
Part 7: Shocking Truths and Deadly Alliances  
nmc_512@yahoo.com  
AAMRN  
  
Ash: 15Misty: 16Brock: 20Todd: 16  
Jamie: 16Gary: 16Jesse and James: 21  
Richie: 17Ashura: 15Commander Slade Morton: 33  
  
A/N: No, "King of Fighters" did NOT inspire me when I wrote this: the only   
thing that I know of "King of Fighters is its name. To all the people who can't   
handle my story cause it's "too violent" and such ... cry me a river; notice the   
PG-13 rating. If you can't handle it then go back to sucking your thumb and   
hugging your security blanket because it WILL NOT change. If you can't bear with   
this than you'd make a terrible doctor. * sighs * Next, to all the people who   
keep asking me questions on what's gonna happen next in the story ... BE   
PATIENT! If ya wanna know, then you're just gonna have to keep on reading!   
Patience is a virtue; I should know because I read it off a fortune cookie,   
and FORTUNE COOKIES DON'T LIE!!!   
-Thank you,  
M to the Z  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own them (well, not all of them), I just use them. Capiche,   
douche-bag!?  
  
* * * *   
  
"Jessie, why did we have to park the balloon way out here?" a voice whined.  
  
"Because," a female voice snapped, "our original plan was to steal the twerp's Pokemon. I have learned that by parking to close to our attack area the balloon always seems to be destroyed before we could make our getaway! But, since our plans have changed from harassing the twerp to helping him, we're just going to have to bear with it. Now stop bitching and carry me faster!"  
  
"You know," James began thoughtfully, "we'd make it to the Meowth balloon a lot faster if you would just GET OFF OF ME!"  
  
"Shaddup, da both a-yas!" Meowth barked. "Da balloon is right ova' da hill, rememba'? We made it!"  
  
"Oh, goody!" James cried. "I have a full bag of Doritos waiting for me in that balloon, I can't wait to dig into it!" He smacked his lips in anticipation of the crunchy treats.  
  
"Oh, and my Strawberry Newtons!" Jesse squealed. "We can have a feast on the way back to the twerps and their creepy friend!" She wrung her hands together deliciously, losing her grip and nearly falling off of James.  
  
"Ahhh, my Meowth Treats ... " Meowth purred. "Meowth, I love 'em ..."  
  
They finally reached the top of the hill and gasped. James, in shock, dropped Jesse. Jesse scrambled up to her feet, speechless. Meowth stared blankly at the sight before them.  
  
Their balloon was destroyed.  
  
Fragments of torn balloon fabric littered the ground about them. Burning pieces of the woven wood that made up the body of the balloon was cluttered everywhere. James slowly walked up to the wreckage and picked up a larger piece of torn balloon. There was writing on the fabric. Four letters, two vowels, and two consonants were burned into the fabric. The words sent chills up James' spine.   
  
"HA HA."  
  
Jesse bounded towards James. She cradled an empty box of Newtons. "They ate all my Newtons!" she raged. "Somebody's gonna pay."  
  
Jesse continued to complain and moan about their lost snacks. James paid no attention. He was too busy staring in horror at his surroundings. Something wasn't right. Something evil had been here.  
  
"Guy's," James said in a quiet, shaky voice, "look at the ground." The two others eyes' trailed towards their feet and gasped. Faintly, but surely, burnt ground gave off an eerie red glow.   
  
Soon they made another discovery. It wasn't just the ground that had been tainted with an evil crimson tint. It was EVERYTHING. The destroyed balloon, the trees, even the air seemed to be corrupted with a glowing red stain. Even their bodies began glow red.  
  
The sinister shine seemed to taunt them; laugh at them. They heard voices, soft, eerie voices whispering hair-raising things in their ears. They seemed to speak in a language that the trio never heard before. It didn't sound Japanese, English, Spanish, or even a combination of any tongue. They couldn't just hear it, they could FEEL it, feel it seethe and vibrate through their very being, coursing through their blood like some horrible plague. They managed to make out some of the words.  
  
"EcchLA MoreaBLeKeS mACHstcALCLach RAgAnaJIN."  
  
"We're leaving." James said firmly. Jesse was too frightened to move. Meowth's aimless scrutiny remained.  
  
"NOW!" he repeated loudly. "RUN, NOW!" Jesse still wouldn't move. Meowth stood still, his eyes transfixed on nothing. Jesse and James could hear him murmuring something under his breath.   
  
"Meowth," Jesse hissed, "what are you doing?" Meowth gave her no regard as he continued with his low murmuring. Although she couldn't determine what he was saying, she could make out whatever he was saying in a steady rhythm.   
  
Like the slow thumping of a heart.  
  
"Meowth, LET'S GO!" James shouted into the cat Pokemon's ear. "Why won't you answer me!?"   
  
In a steady crescendo, Meowth's low chanting became louder. Soon Jesse and James could finally understand what he was saying.  
  
"The Raganajin shall have you." they heard him drone in a voice that wasn't his own. His eyes took on the same evil glow as their surroundings. His sinister mantra became louder as the glow in his eyes burned brighter.   
  
"THE RAGANAJIN SHALL HAVE YOU." He rasped loudly.  
  
"Meowth," Jesse whimpered, tears welling up in her eyes, "please ... stop it. We have to go ... please ... come back to us."  
  
Meowth's face twisted into expression of pure insanity. "THE RAGANAJIN SHALL HAVE YOU!!!" He twitched and convulsed, his head thrown back and his mouth foaming. Jesse and James cried out as his body gave one final violent spasm, then fell limp, like a puppet who's string's had been cruelly severed.   
  
* * * *   
  
Ashura stared blankly at the Commander's ashes; the Ragana lay half-buried in the black powder. The ashes seemed to shine for a moment, and then the light vanished, as if the last shreds of life force within the ashes flicked off like a light.  
  
Ashura was in awe of his power. In an instant of rage, hate, and sorrow, he had gone from simply powerful to seemingly invincible. In a playful, pseudo-innocent experimental manner, he flared up his Psionic aura, once again illuminating the area like a living sun. He laughed as he watched a few stray mosquitoes incinerate in front of him in the aura's wake.   
  
He had an idea. What if I were to become ruler of all Lekarians, he mused. After all, with such power at my disposal, no one, not even the Ultimate himself, is my equal. Nobody can stand up against me. Who needs the Ultimate?  
  
Ashura nearly keeled over in laughter as he thought of his ex-mate, Duplica. He should thank her for rejecting him. It was because of her unfaithfulness that drove him to this new power. Yes, he WOULD thank her, in his own ... special way.   
  
The glowing teen descended himself from his levitation to the ground. He crouched down towards the Ragana. Do I dare touch it? Will it accept me? To grab hold of the Ragana without the Ragana's consent meant death. The Ragana chose it's wielders, not the other way around.  
  
Suddenly he heard voices, strange callings that seemed to seep through his very thoughts. They called for him, beckoned him to hold the Ragana, to take it. They were inviting him. The Ragana wanted him. Tensing his muscles and taking a deep breath, Ashura shot his hand forward and snatched the Ragana.  
  
The pain was unbearable.   
  
Horrible, searing agony shot through his arm and into his body. It was so white hot, so all consuming it was almost pleasure. Ashura threw back his head and gave a howl of pain that could wake the dead. He wanted to let go, oh how he so desperately desired to free the mystical weapon from his grasp. However, in the heat of agonizing pleasure the muscles in his arm had locked tighter than a knot. It felt as if his muscles were being torn, his blood boiling, and his bones splintering.  
  
Panic ran through the sobbing boy's mind. Has the Ragana rejected me? Am I going to die? Is this what it feels like to die? Oh God ... the pain ... it hurts ... it hurts so much. Can't let go ... damn you, arm ... damn you, why won't you LET GO!? Obey me, DAMMIT!   
  
Just then, as quickly as the pain came, it ceased, leaving a blissful, almost post-coital feeling of profound satisfaction. Relaxing waves of pleasure flowed through his body. He shuddered softly as the pleasure subsided.   
  
Richie and Sparky stared in genuine awe at the sight before them. They had witnessed the whole scene from behind the overturned car, sweating bullets. Every now and then, the electric rodent gave soft, reverent "pikas" as he watched the dark-haired Lekarian. Richie couldn't tell if the whole thing was a dream or not.   
  
The older boy and the Pikachu slowly stepped from the safety of the totaled car and cautiously approached the crimson and black teen. Ashura only absent-mindedly regarded them; he was too busy savoring the feeling of pure power, pure energy.   
  
Richie nervously spoke up. "Y-y-y-yo , Ashura?"   
  
Ashura placidly turned his head in mild acknowledgment. "Yes? he responded in a quite voice that made Richie's legs quiver.   
  
"Are you ... um ... alright there?"   
  
Ashura gave a surprisingly warm smile. "Of course, Richie. I've never felt better in my entire life." The smile than twisted into a malicious smirk.   
  
Richie winced at the expression. Ashura laughed mentally; Richie didn't WINCE for just anybody. This meant good things for the glowing teen. He pointed his new Ragana at the taller boy.   
  
In hopeless desperation Richie threw his hands up while Sparky cowered behind his legs. "Waitaminute, don't ..."  
  
Crimson lightning surged forth from the Ragana into Richie's body. Sparky gave a loud yelp as he leapt away, helpless to do anything but watch his trainer writhe and spasm with red electricity.   
  
Just then Richie felt an awesome explosion of power erupt from under him. It was as if someone had opened the lid to a raging volcano. Raw energy swept through his body like a hurricane; he could feel his Psi energy skyrocketing.   
  
The Ragana's beam ceased.  
  
Richie looked down at himself. He wasn't dead, which meant that Ashura took mercy on him. But why?  
  
Richie stared at Ashura, dazed from his own power. "Wh-wh-wha-wha what did ya do to me?"   
  
Ashura gave a small cough as he slipped the Ragana into his belt. "I need a right hand man, Rich. Someone I can trust; a good assistant."  
  
Richie stared at him some more as Ashura kept talking. "Don't you see, Richie? With all this power, we could rule the world ourselves!" Ashura's eyes flared with anticipation of conquest. "We don't need the Ultimate anymore, Richie. He is a thing of the past. A forgotten memory; obsolete. We can take control and rule the Lekarians ourselves.  
  
Ashura patted his Ragana. "What I just did was give you a tremendous burst in power. I'm sure you've felt it by now. Don't you just love it?"  
  
Richie's eyes gave a maniacal gleam as he caught on to what Ashura was getting at. "Oh yeah, Ashura. I've felt it, alright." He flared his aura outward and fired a gigantic pillar of light into the night sky. "I'm LOVIN' IT!"  
  
"Then join me, Richie. We could rule the planet, have anything that we wanted." Ashura gave a knowing smile. "You could have all the whores you want."  
  
Richie's head jerked up. Ashura had said the magic words. "All we need to do is get the Ultimate out of the way. Then there will be no stopping us. Anyone who gets in the way of our idea will be destroyed immediately. What do you say, Richie? Partners?" Ashura stuck his hand out in an invitation for a handshake.  
  
Richie smirked and thrust his hand into Ashura's, sealing their agreement. "Partners."  
  
Ashura smoothly pulled his hand away. "Just remember, Richie, no matter what happens," he flared his Psi for emphasis, "I will always be superior to you. Never defy me, or I will kill you."  
  
Richie snorted, his usual impudence surfacing once more. "Relax, Ashura my man." I ain't in no mood to be picking fights with you." He cracked his knuckles excitedly. "Besides, I wanna test my power on something!"  
  
"And you will." Ashura promised. "Once we find the Ultimate and his friends, then you can have your fun."  
  
"Great." Richie gurgled. "I've got an old score to settle with little Ashy-boy anyhow. This is gonna be fun."  
  
"Just remember," Ashura warned, "don't kill him. Do whatever you want to the others, but don't lay a finger on Aries. I will personally deal with him. Now let's go."  
  
Sparky quickly jumped on his trainer's shoulder like a parrot just before they shot off into the air. The Pikachu had a very, very bad feeling about all of it, but he knew better than to argue with the two warriors. Even with their newfound power, Sparky had the strange notion that his trainer would die very soon ...  
  
* * * *   
  
"Gary, you bastard, what the hell did you do to him!?" Ash cursed, his fists balled up so tight that his fingernails dug crescent moons into his palms. Abra only held onto his unconscious trainer like a baby holding onto its parent.  
  
Gary pulled put his non-injured hand out in front of him and pointed the palm at Ash. His hand began to shine a bright white. "Simple, Ashy-boy; I took him out of the picture."  
  
Ash gritted his teeth angrily. "Don't ... call me ... that name ..."  
  
Gary laughed maliciously. "Or you'll do WHAT, Ash? Face it, without knowledge of your abilities you're as helpless as a duck in a barrel."   
  
Ash threw his hands up. "Again with this 'abilities' crap! Why is everyone after me, huh? Can't somebody explain this to me in plain simple English!?" He put his hands on his hips.  
  
Gary sighed; he was obviously in no hurry. The boy lowered his hand down as the glowing stopped. "Well, before you die, I guess you DO have the right to know why."  
  
Gary paced himself around the group. "Once upon a time there was a planet called Draun. And on that planet lived the humanoid species called the 'Lekarians'. The Lekarians loved to conquer, pillage, and destroy, ruling over entire planets all across the universe. Then one day the idiots messed with the WRONG people; the Gnrak. Even though the self appointed rulers of the universe a.k.a the Lekarians were physically stronger than the smaller species, Gnrak technology proved too much for them."  
  
"They annihilated the planet Draun and all but destroyed the Lekarian race. Torn, crippled, and robbed of their pride, the Lekarians escaped in a single ship and raced off into space. After decades of ceaseless wandering, they came upon our humble little planet Earth. With their power reserves running dry, the warlike race decided to land on our planet and make their home here."  
  
Gary paused to clear his throat, and then continued. "Now, you'd think that after having your planet destroyed, your homes wiped from the universe, and to live on a tiny blue planet you'd think that they'd learn to let others live in peace. Wrong! Immediately after landing on Earth, the Lekarians made plans to conquer it. Needing a face for their operations, they began to hire unsuspecting hoodlums and thus creating the infamous Team Rocket."  
  
Misty and Pikachu stared in silent shock as they listened to the boy talk. Ash, however, wouldn't be swayed. "Hmmmm, a nice fairy tale, Gary." he sneered. "But you still haven't answered my question."  
  
"Patience is a virtue, Ash." Gary chided in a mocking tone. "Just sit quiet like a good little boy and listen."  
  
What little patience and tolerance Ash possessed was waning. Ash just bottled it up and listened. He was going to die in about a minute anyway.  
  
"So as I was saying, before I was RUDELY interrupted, the Lekarians created Team Rocket. That's what soon bore us into the world." He pointed at himself. "Silph was created as a counter-agents by some good Lekarians and a huge number of shrewd humans to keep Team Rocket in check. However, Team Rocket had their ace in the hole."  
  
He pointed at the dark-haired boy. "YOU, Ash, are their future weapon of destruction. You see, Team Rocket decided to genetically engineer a living weapon to carry out the task of destroying all of the humans, an "Ultimate Lekarian", if you will. After creating you in a test tube, they implanted you into an unsuspecting human woman. That's what also gave birth to The Cause; your personal guard."  
  
He then lifted his hand at Ash once more. "It is their duty to bring you in and train you after your fifteenth birthday. In another three years your innate super abilities will surface." His eyes gleamed dangerously. "Then you will be no stopping you. You will be under their control at that point forever more." His hand began to shine brightly as the air around him began to hum. "I'm really sorry, Ash. I wish there was another way to do this, but there isn't. I'll hate myself forever for killing you, but if it means the safety of Earth, then I know that I can rest easy."  
  
Misty then threw herself over Ash. "NO!" she cried, tears streaming down her eyes. "You can't, Gary, you CAN'T! I-I-I lo ..."  
  
"Love him?" Gary interrupted. Misty only gave a small nod. "Tell me, is love worth the destruction of all mankind? How can you love Ash when in three years he will forget you and everyone else he cared about, then go off and destroy them as if they never meant anything to him? Don't you see, Misty? This is bigger than you, bigger than me!"   
  
Ash looked into her emerald eyes. "Mist ..." he began. "Please ... get off of me ... please ..."  
  
"No, Ash." she replied firmly. "No, I WON'T leave you." She jerked her head towards Pikachu. "Quick, Thundershock him NOW!!!"  
  
The electric mouse didn't hesitate. "PIIIKKKKKKKAAAAAAAAAAAACCCCCHHHHUUUUUUUUU!"   
  
Pikachu leapt forward and latched onto Gary's chest. Gary was then swathed in a blinding yellow light as fifty thousand volts of electricity jolted through his body.   
  
Misty turned around and crushed her lips against Ash's. They felt so warm, so welcoming. Ash eagerly returned a kiss that sent shivers up Misty's spine. They wanted to hold each other forever, never letting go. Sadly, they were rudely interrupted.   
  
They turned around to see Gary break away from Pikachu's electrifying embrace. Pikachu shrieked in pain as he was REPELLED from Gary's body. The smoking yellow mouse was hurled into Ash and Misty like a football. They were violently knocked back by an invisible wave of force as Gary gave a powerful roar.   
  
Gary had charged up his Psi to the breaking point. He was angry, angry that Misty attempted to help the same THING that would lead to the deaths of six billion people.   
  
Gary stared at them with cold, blue, burning eyes. "You shouldn't have done that, Misty!" he shouted over the roar of his aura charging up to unbelievable levels for a human. "Now I'll have to kill both of you!"  
  
"Not if I can help it, human!" a voice shouted.  
  
All heads jerked over to the side to see a blue haired girl and what seemed like her twin skid to a halt between them. They both turned to Gary and crouched into a fighting stance.  
  
"If you want the Ultimate, human, you'll have to get through me!" she charged up her Psi levels. The sound of their roaring auras was deafening; the others covered their ears and screwed their eyes shut.   
  
Gary gave her a determined scowl. "Fine, then I guess I'll do just that!"  
  
They launched themselves at each other, only vaguely aware that two powerful forces were drawing closer and closer to them. 


	8. They Have Arrived

Ash's Gift By MegamanZero Part 8: They Have Arrived nmc_512@yahoo.com AAMRN  
  
Ash: 15 Misty: 16 Brock: 20 Duplica: 15 Jamie: 16 Gary: 16 Jesse and James: 21 Richie: 17 Ashura: 15 Todd: 16  
  
A/N: I love www.thepokemontower.com, coz it won't shut down on you when you just finished your frickin chappie!!! You rule, Jolt!! ^_^ Anyhoo, chappie 8 is finally up, so read and review please, if ya wanna know what happens next to Ash and Co. Sidenote: I've actually created an original character (Jamie) that has actually lasted through 8 whole chapters and hasn't had something stupid done to him like the whole He-Was-A-Bad-Guy-All-Along crap, or just plain died! I'm planning on keeping this guy, and don't think you've seen the last of him when this whole fic is over! The spirit of Jamie will live on forever in my fics(unless you count that stupid Not Another Pokemon Spoof fic, which to this day I rue the moment I extracted it from the murky corners of my brain). Now stop bothering me and READ.  
  
- M to the Z  
  
* * * *  
  
Duplica and Ditto hurled themselves at the human, their fists and feet charged with Psi. Duplica felt such vengeance, such raw fury towards the boy in front of her. He had threatened the Ultimate, her responsibility ... her Ashy-Boy. The Elite would pay. She and Ditto would see to that. She would show him just what the Ultimate's personal guard could do.  
  
Gary crouched into his own fighting stance and braced himself for the fight that was about to occur. It's just another piece of Lekarian scum, he told himself, just another alien filth with a Ditto. He took an instant to measure up her Psi levels. He was shocked when he discovered that they were dangerously close to his. No matter, he thought. I've taken down opponents twice her strength. All it took was a little strategy, yes, just a little ...  
  
WHACK!  
  
Two feet had struck contact with his chest; he wondered foggily she had gotten to kicks in without him seeing it. Then he mentally slapped himself on the forehead as he flew into the same broken tree as before. The Ditto; she was using her Ditto to copy her moves to aid her in the battle. It seemed a very cowardly move to him, but he could play on her level.  
  
Gary threw himself back onto his feet and pulled out one of his Pokeballs. A very angry looking Machop, wiry body and all, materialize before him. Gary made note that his Machop was extremely fast; his speed could counter his two opponents' own speed. It was just like having a Pokemon match, only this time around the TRAINER was involved in the fight as well.  
  
"Ready, Machop?" Gary quickly inquired as he settled himself back into his fighting stance.  
  
"Chop!" the fighting Pokemon responded. It crouched into its fighting stance and growled deeply.  
  
"Alright, then ... ATTTAAACK!"  
  
All Ash and Misty saw were four blurs clashing together in an all-out brawl. They took a moment to silently admire the four fighter's amazing combat skill.  
  
"Ash," Misty said quietly as the four fought on, "the collar." She pointed to the Inhibition Collar on the unconscious teen's neck. "Take off the collar."  
  
Ash responded with a quick peck to Misty's cheek as he scrambled over to the sleeping Jamie's form. He grasped his fingers onto the black collar, and prepared to pull with all his might. What happened next shocked him.  
  
Literally.  
  
Ash yelped in pain as bolts of energy shot through his hands. He jerked his fingers away from the collar and nursed his hand. He glanced over to Misty, who was busy trying to revive an injured, mostly shaken, Pikachu. Just then it hit him.  
  
Abra. In all the commotion and bedlam, he had forgotten that Jamie's Abra was still sitting by his side in silent obedience. It looked up at him with quizzical eyes.  
  
"Abra!" Ash shouted over the Psionic roars, no longer caring about the volume of his voice, as the people fighting ten feet away from him were far beyond with concerning themselves with what was occurring around them. He pointed to the collar tightly locked around Jamie's neck. "Can't you do something about this stupid thing!?"  
  
Abra shrugged helplessly. Ash seemed to hear a voice in his mind. He quickly reasoned that it was Abra using telepathy. Ash knew that most Psychic Pokemon used telepathy as a means of communication. "I would if I could Ash, but this collar works against a living thing's Psi; it repels anything with a life force."  
  
The boy punched the ground, leaving a deep hole where his fist made contact. "Dammit!" Ash desperately tried to devise some way, ANY way, to get the collar off. Think, you doofus, THINK! It repels anything with Psi ... can't make direct contact with it ... come on, you stupid ... THAT'S IT!  
  
Ash looked towards Misty. "Hurry, toss me my backpack!" he ordered. Misty complied by grabbing his pack and hurling it at him. Ash caught it and began to search frantically inside. Ash gave a silent "YES!" as he triumphantly whipped out a Pokeball.  
  
"Chikorita, I choose you!" The Grass type materialized before him.  
  
"Chikori!" she squealed happily as she snuggled up against Ash's knee.  
  
"Aww, Chikorita, now's not the time." Ash groaned. "Look!" Chikorita managed to tear herself away from Ash long enough to get a good look at the situation. She immediately took on a serious expression.  
  
"Chikorita, I want you to carefully use your Razor Leaf attack on this." He pointed at the shiny black collar around Jamie's neck. "Don't slit his throat open, ok?" Ash knew that while Chikorita surely had life force in her, the leaf on the top of her head didn't.  
  
Chikorita gave a loud "CHIKA!" as she reared her head-leaf back. Ash gulped as he closed his eyes.  
  
He opened them only to see half a collar. Ash beamed with pride. Abra looked like he could've kissed Chikorita. "Good job!" he cried as he hugged her into his arms. Chikorita purred happily as she released some of her sweet-smelling fragrance. "Return!"  
  
As Chikorita returned to her Pokeball the effects on Jamie were instantaneous. As if nothing had happened to him, he flipped himself upward into the air and landed gracefully. He only looked slightly shaken.  
  
"Whoa!" he shouted, rubbing his eyes and shaking his head. "I just had the craziest dream where ..." He looked at the "festivities" that were happening all around him. "Oh, guess it wasn't a dream."  
  
"Jamie!" Misty and Abra cried out in their own languages. They both threw their arms around a very surprised Jamie. Ash only smiled. Of course Misty would hug him, after all, he was her friend.  
  
"What's going on?" he wondered out loud. Ash and Misty quickly explained the situation to him. "Oh, right." He sneered at the one of the blurs fighting before him. "THAT guy."  
  
Jamie cracked his knuckles. "Like I said, this won't take long." He cupped his hands over his mouth. "HEY, IDIOTS!"  
  
The four blurs stopped to a halt and stared at the brown haired boy. "Why not let me join in on the action, huh?"  
  
Duplica immediately recognized him as the infamous Runaway. She took a second to focus her Psi and did a brief measurement of his own. She nearly choked on her own saliva when she calculated a result.  
  
This boy in front of her, the very same one that had managed to avoid being killed by people like her his whole life, had more power than her and the Elite.  
  
Combined.  
  
He hopelessly outmatched her. Duplica glanced at the Elite she was once fighting to find the same shocked expression he had on.  
  
Gary's frightened look switched from the Tri to the Runaway in a sort of deadly metronome. "Who's fighting who!?" he demanded, his voice shaking slightly.  
  
Duplica had similar questions. Who was the bigger threat, the Elite or the Runaway? Would the Runaway attack? Duplica answered her own question: of course he would attack. Countless other Tris had been sent to kill him, only to never return to headquarters again. It was obvious that the Runaway was the biggest threat.  
  
"Ditto, Mind Flare!" she ordered.  
  
Ditto raised its hands into the air as a bright flash spread in all directions. Ditto's Mind Flare illuminated the night. Everybody quickly turned in the opposite direction in an attempt to shield their eyes from the corrosive shine.  
  
Jamie only smiled placidly at the girl. "Abra, you know what to do!" he called. All color left Abra's eyes as two black beams shot into the sky. As the two beams met, they swirled together to form a hissing black ball. As if somebody had turned off the lights, the blinding shine from Ditto's technique was sucked into the ball like a vacuum cleaner. The two fighters, along with the others, were awestruck.  
  
Jamie's smile remained. "Umbra attack." he announced. "It sucks up all light in the area, making up a sort of temporary black hole." He turned towards Duplica and sneered. "You actually think that I haven't fought against that little 'Mind Flare' thing? I've seen that same trick played hundreds of times when people like YOU try to kill me."  
  
The Umbra move ceased. "Do you wanna try your luck fighting me toe to toe, or are you two finished yet? If ya want, you can BOTH come at me, I don't mind. Just be sure not to ruin this shirt any more than it already is, ok?"  
  
Duplica only stared at him. He actually WANTED to fight them. She was amazed at his arrogance. Than again, with Psi levels like those, she would be overconfident too. She still didn't know who to fight; she just stood there, next to Gary, wondering what the hell she was supposed to do.  
  
Jamie's eyes suddenly took on a deadly gleam as he leered at the blue- haired girl. What was left of his smile disappeared. "All my life I've been plagued by people like you. You killed my parents, you ruin my life. In a way, I'm glad that I've met you tonight; I think that a little closure is in order."  
  
Jamie's released his Psi into the air, creating a dark, angry blue aura. "I've faced dozens of Tri, young, old, men, women, boys, girls." The air seemed to sizzle with his anger. "They are all dead; killed to a man, and woman."  
  
Ash, Misty, and Pikachu were once again sitting on the sidelines, with Brock lying unconscious by their feet. They held each other in their arms, and paws, and watched as Jamie's bodily glow flared outward once more. Abra jumped by his side, crouching into his own fighting stance. The Psychic Pokemon had the same furious glint in his eyes; it was obvious that Abra had suffered along with Jamie.  
  
Gary, figuring that now wasn't a good time to go about his mission to kill Ash, called back his Machop, leapt into the trees and hid for dear life. Jamie, Duplica, and their partners paid him no heed. They stood still, staring each other down. Their muscles tensed, their auras charged. They reared back, ready to strike. They took deep breaths, and ...  
  
A huge flying blue ball of light burst before either one of them could make the first move. They shielded their eyes and faces, instantly feeling a hot burning sensation as they were thrown back away from each other. Although they had landed on their feet, their legs felt like jelly when they looked over to see the cause of the Psi burst.  
  
It was Ash.  
  
Cheast heaving, palm pointed outward, smoke seeping from his hand, he spoke again. "Stop the fighting. NOW!" Torn grass and dust particles swirled around the boy as he spoke. His Psionic aura gave an almost determined glow. His usually welcoming brown eyes shone an angry red as he spoke. "Don't make me do it again."  
  
Duplica raised her hands up. "Ashy-boy," she said softly, "it's me." Ditto followed suit by lifting its hands to the sky as well.  
  
Ash blinked when he looked her up and down. Blue hair, nice features, and a Ditto. A voice that contained a slight perk, even in a deadly situation, like the one they were in right at that moment.  
  
Ash's angry optical shine flickered away as he realized exactly who it was he was looking at.  
  
"... Duplica!?"  
  
* * * *  
  
The two Lekarians shot through the sky like bullets. Sparky held onto his trainer, hoping that he wouldn't fall to his doom. After all, they were flying very high.  
  
Sparky took a moment to remember what Ashura looked like after his transition into the Dark Rage. He looked like Stephen King's worst nightmare. His hair stuck out wildly, with bloodred streaks striping it hear and there.  
  
Instead of eyes, he now had two black orbs with red dots in the middle. The whites of his eyes had clouded over with a glassy ebony color. His irisis were swallowed up into the black completely, leaving only his pupils, which had glazed over into red. The 'blacks' of his eyes seemed to siphon the light around them.  
  
Sparky gathered his thoughts and recollected the night's recent events. Morton sent the two hunters to their deaths. They go to rendezvous point, only to find that Duplica wasn't there. Ashura becomes angry, seemed to be having a conflict within himself. Finally, Ashura transforms into this nightmarish effigy of his former self.  
  
The Pikachu couldn't bring himself to understand exactly why he just witnessed that horrible premonition. He couldn't shake the feeling that his partner was gong to die very soon. Sparky's fur prickled as he remembered the vision.  
  
* MEMORY OF VISION *  
  
He was clinging to Richie's shoulder as the boy mercilessly pounded them. There were six of them; Duplica, her Ditto, the Runaway, an Abra, an Elite and a Machoke. Fists and feet clashed against fists and feet. Four blurs tried in vain to land a hit on him, only to either hit air, or strike a well placed block.  
  
Sparky looked around. He saw the nightmare Ashura, floating in the air with his arms crossed, watching placidly as Richie made sport of the young fighters. He played with them, moving left, right, up, down. Then blocking, parrying, dodging. Watch out for that Machoke's fist, block, dodge, parry. Then a bored look swept over Richie as he grew tired of the game, he was ready to end it.  
  
Two lightning fast kicks to the side and groin, a left hook to the cheek, a Psyshock here and there, more kicks and punches; all distributed by Richie. His opponents stood no chance, his strength was not his own. The six fall to the ground, bruised and bloody.  
  
Richie cackles, then taunts something at them. Sparky couldn't make out what it was; it was almost as if a gag was place over Richie's mouth. But Sparky could hear the moans, yes, the moans of pain coming from the torn fighters lying helplessly on the ground, Pokemon and trainer alike. Richie shoots into the air above them. He flares his Psi outward as he charges up. A large glowing ball begins to form at his outstretched hand. It grows in size and volume, its oppressive shine forcing Sparky to squint.  
  
Richie says something again, but with more venom in his voice. Just then Ashura shrieks for Richie to do something, quickly. A golden yellow blur zips past Sparky and Richie. Richie's eyes widen in shock as falls to the ground.  
  
Half a person.  
  
Sparky screams out his master's name in his own tongue as they both rapidly descend to the ground below them. The Pikachu then loses his grip as his hits the pavement.  
  
Pavement?  
  
Oh yes, they were in a city; a city that had been reduced to nearly rubble. Sparky squalls loudly as he lands in his master's blood. His fur is soaked in the red liquid. He turns to his master's face, the shocked expression forever frozen on his visage like some horrible photograph, his dead eyes staring back at him in a sort of sad way.  
  
Sparky looks up into the sky at the offender. He had killed his master; he would pay dearly. Oh yes, he would shock the life out of him, literally.  
  
But he can't see him. The vision becomes blurry, distorted. All he can determine are a pair of blazing brown eyes, and ... Pikachu ears?  
  
* END VISION *  
  
* * * *  
  
"Are you saying that you KNOW this girl?" Jamie demanded pointing at the girl dressed in a black uniform. A ball of Psi had formed at the end of his pointing finger, threatening to let loose at any moment.  
  
"She's a friend." Ash told him firmly. "Put your finger down." Once again Ash's aura became visible, pulsing along with his heartbeat.  
  
"A Tri isn't a friend to anyone, Ash!" Jamie growled, the glow on his finger unceasing. His angry gaze then flickered towards the girl in front of him. "Why don't you tell him, 'Duplica'? Enlighten your 'Ashy-boy' on some of the daily 'activities' activities you participate in."  
  
Duplica hung her head down in shame. How could she tell Ash what she was there for? She couldn't just say, "Hi Ash, remember me? I'm Duplica from the Imitate House! I just want you to know that the circumstances that you met me in were all scripted and that I'm here to take you in so my superiors can train you. Why, because you are a genetically altered Lekarian killing machine, and in three years from now, on your eighteenth birthday, you will have no recollection of your friends and loved ones!" What could she do?  
  
Ditto was becoming nervous. "What should we do?" It whispered telepathically to Duplica.  
  
"Get back into your Pokeball. I'll seem less threatening that way." Duplica replied in the same method.  
  
Just then Jamie leapt away from the entire group, his hands up in a fighting stance directed at ALL of them. "So THAT'S what you are!" he roared, pointing at Ash.  
  
Ash blinked. "Wha- what are you talking about?"  
  
"I should've caught it before!" Jamie's legs shook from under him as he talked. His eyes spoke of the same KNOWING terror that Ash had seen in Misty's eyes. "You're the ... the ..."  
  
Jamie finally let it out. "YOU'RE THE ULTIMATE!" he shouted. He then turned to Duplica again, his eyes burning with hatred. "So THAT'S why you protected him! You only want him alive so you can train him to kill!"  
  
Jamie screamed at Ash. "When you explained the situation to me after I was knocked out by that JERK, you never said ANYTHING about being the ULITMATE!"  
  
It was Ash's turn to be angry. "I am NOT this 'Ultimate' or whatever!" he said hotly. "Why does everybody think I'm something I'm not!?"  
  
Duplica was horrified. How did the Runaway know? How did he know of her intentions? She gasped when she realized the answer. Of course, it all made sense. The Runaway had ESP, he could read her mind! She thought of it, and he heard it!  
  
Jamie's murderous stare jerked back and forth from Ash to Duplica. At this point he didn't know who to kill, him or her. Both were incredibly dangerous, more so Ash. He had heard Tris that had attacked him in the past speak of the Ultimate, but he had thought that was just stupid gibberish and a rumor. He never would've imagined that the Ultimate himself would be standing right in front of him.  
  
"It all makes sense now." Jamie laughed humorlessly. "The weird Psi signature, your strange eyes, the busted-up tree stump." He scowled at Ash. "And to think for a few hours I was beginning to consider you a FRIEND."  
  
That had done it for Ash. "SHUT UP!" he roared at Jamie. It all happened in a flash. One second Ash was standing next to a very confused Misty and Pikachu (not to mention a very comatose Brock) and the next second he had thrown a punch at the brown-haired teen. Without a second thought, Jamie had carelessly parried the fist away and swung a hook kick to the back of Ash's head. Duplica shrieked. Misty shrieked. Pikachu gave a furious "PIKA!"  
  
Ash was nearly knocked senseless as the heel of Jamie's foot struck his skull. His vision became blurred when his knees hit the ground. His body struck the grass and hard dirt with a sickening thud.  
  
One human, one Lekarian, and one Pikachu once again shot towards the two in white-hot anger. If not for the pills she took, Duplica would've entered the Rage right at that moment. But their assault was cut short when Jamie shot turned to Abra and barked out an order. In their anger, their ears didn't catch the attack that Jamie ordered Abra to perform.  
  
On them.  
  
Abra's eyes glowed a baby blue light. The air around them seemed to ripple and pulse, almost as if it were alive. The writhing sensation was soon replaced by a blinding flash of light. This only angered Duplica, she lifted her leg in preparation for a kick.  
  
Only she didn't. She quickly realized that she couldn't lift her leg up. She tried moving it with her hands, only to find out that they were frozen in place as well. She was terrified; she couldn't move a single muscle.  
  
The group was frozen stiff.  
  
Jamie gave them a placid look. "Synaptic Shock." He explained. "It cuts off all synaptic impulses to the white muscle in your body. Pretty much all you can do right now is breathe, unless you count your heartbeat. Pretty handy technique, huh?"  
  
Misty tried in vain to scream her outrage, only to find that her vocal cords would cooperate with her. She felt like sobbing, but she couldn't even close her eyes. The tears would not come.  
  
Pikachu was livid. How dare this ... this ... THING attack my Pikapi. I'll show him. Pikachu's electric sacs on his cheeks weren't controlled by white muscle. He charged up his electricity and fired off the biggest Thundershock he had ever given into Jamie.  
  
The electric rodent couldn't believe his frozen eyes when he saw Jamie absorb the energy like it was a snack. He gave the same placid look. "Quite refreshing, little buddy, but it just won't cut it. Don't you know that Lekarians have a high tolerance for the elements, including electricity?"  
  
Pikachu inwardly smacked himself. Of course, he thought. Now it all makes sense, now I truly know what my Pikapi is. How else could he endure my repetitive Thundershocks? Ohh, Pikapi ... I'm sorry for letting you down.  
  
Jamie's gaze jerked toward Abra. "How much longer can you hold them?" he asked quickly in telepathy.  
  
Abra's stare didn't leave the would-be attackers as he replied telepathically. "About ten minutes."  
  
"Great, that's more than enough time." He looked down at Ash, the blow to the head making him lose his grip on consciousness. Jamie pointed his palm at him as a glowing ball formed around his hand. "I hope you understand why I'm doing this, Ash." He said softly, the deadly edge in his voice gone. "I can't let you grow up to be eighteen. I'm sorry, it's just that I happen to LIKE this planet, and I don't want to see it taken over by people like ME."  
  
Ash took a brief moment to consider what Jamie had said. People like him? Now why would he say that? People like HIM ...  
  
Then Ash's heart melted with sympathy for the boy who was about to kill him. Now I knew what he meant. He hated his own kind.  
  
But wait. Something's not right here. He felt around in his own mind. Anxiety? I'm not afraid, what's that doing there? What ... waitaminute ... MISTY?  
  
"Goodbye Ash." Jamie whispered as he prepared to release the energy. "It really was nice knowing ..."  
  
There was a loud explosion as Jamie's body was violently hurled forward into the trunk of a tree. Abra caterwauled as he was thrown back by the shockwave. In that instant, the strange hold that the Pokemon had on the others was stripped away as they flew backward into the grass.  
  
Up in the sky, two figures were laughing.  
  
* * * *  
  
"Excellent shot, Richie. I believe you have just killed the Runaway, or have mortally wounded him at least. Look at him, his Psi levels have become so low ..."  
  
"I gotta tell ya, Ashura my man, these new powers you gave me are great! I used to suck at external Psionic moves. Now I got enough power to set this whole freaking forest up in flames!"  
  
"I'm happy that you enjoy the wonderful abilities I've bestowed upon you, Richie, but just take a look at where you fired that blast for a moment. Who else is there, hmm? My brother, of course! You know that I said I didn't want you touching Aries. I will be very displeased if he's hurt."  
  
"Yo, relax, Ashura. See? He ain't dead! Look, he's getting up like nothin' happened to him, see?"  
  
"I'm very glad to hear that, Richie. You got lucky this time around, but don't expect me to be so lenient the next time you blatantly disregard my orders. Now come, let's descend down to the ground. It's about time I met my brother."  
  
  
  
A/N: Ugh, I'm such an asshole, ain't I!? Leaving you hanging like that ... the nerve! The gall! But I do this anyway because it makes you wanna find out what the hell happens next! Well, chapter 9 is on the way and should be done by next Friday. Keep on readin'! 


	9. They Have Arrived part B

Ash's Gift  
By MegamanZero  
Part Nine: They Have Arrived part B  
nmc_512@yahoo.com  
AAMRN  
  
Ash: 15Misty: 16Brock: 20Duplica: 15  
Jamie: 16Gary: 16Jesse and James: 21  
Richie: 17Ashura: 15Todd: 16  
  
A/N: Hey there, all you rabid readers! I've devoted most of my school time to finishing this chapter, and I have yet to finish my research paper (stupid Modernism :P). * Sigh * This is what I get for being in I.B. Anyhoo, I'm fully aware that, once again, I have forgotten to put a disclaimer on the last chapter. Also, twerpshippers and sailshippers unite! You will see what I mean ^_~. Enjoy, enjoy!   
  
Disclaimer: Jesus, how many more ways are there to tell you that I DO NOT OWN POKEMON!?  
  
* * * *   
  
Ash frantically searched the sky for the unseen assailants. Just a moment ago Jamie was above him, about to blast him into oblivion, and the next moment he was lying on the dirt and grass, unmoving. The boy's eyes darted around, scoping out the night sky. He saw nothing, but he could feel it.  
  
That same nausiating feeling contaminated the air around him and seemed to defile his very being. The sensation seemed to grow viler and more disgusting by the second. It was getting closer. The air rippled and pulsed all about him, it made his skin prickle.   
  
He quickly studied his surroundings. Misty, Duplica, and Pikachu were slowly peeling themselves off the ground. Jamie laid gasping and twitching a few feet away from them, a small red pool blossoming out from under him. Brock still laid unconscious, his own breathing slow and rasping. Abra had crawled back into his Pokeball.   
  
Ash once again got the same feeling that this was all one horrible nightmare, which he awake from to see Misty lying next to him in her sleeping bag. Ash pinched himself. He nearly wept when he didn't wake up. He then snapped himself out of his daze and rushed to help the others.   
  
"Misty!" he cried as he snatched her into a loving embrace. He held her close to him, savoring the smell of her hair, the softness of her form.   
  
"Ash ..." she murmured into his neck as she laid a soft kiss upon it.   
  
With great reluctance, the two pried themselves from each other. "PIKAPI!" the yellow mouse squeaked as he jumped into his trainer's arms. "Pi pi pikachu cha!"   
  
Ash lovingly stroked his little friend's back. "I know, and I promise not to scare you like that ever again, buddy." His raptor's gaze focused on the girl clad in the black leather-like uniform.   
  
"Who are you, Duplica?" Ash's question bored into the girl's mind. She looked away from him.   
  
"I ... really don't know anymore, Ash." She looked down in shame. "Originally, I was supposed to be part of the team that took you in, but now ..."  
  
Ash's stare seemed to pierce through her. This was definitely not the same Duplica he had met back at the Imitate House. "Take me in for what?" His words were both kind and deadly at the same time.  
  
She looked at him with her deep crimson orbs. "To train you; to prep you into the ultimate killing machine." Her eyes took in his features. God, he's so handsome, she thought dreamily. "My mission tonight was to apprehend you and take you back to headquarters so you could be trained." Misty scowled as the girl's hand rested on his shoulder. "But ... now I just can't bring myself to do it."  
  
Ash raised his eyebrows in curiosity. "Why?"  
  
Duplica inched closer to him. "Because of this."  
  
Then Duplica did something no one expected her to. Her hands wrapped around the back of his head and neck as she pulled him into a deep kiss, in front of Misty, God, and everybody. Ash's cry of surprise was swallowed by Duplica as her kiss became more passionate. The boy almost screamed when her tongue attempted to dance with his.  
  
"HEY!" Misty shrieked as she shoved Duplica out of the liplock. She turned to Ash, who looked horrified.  
  
"She caught me by surprise, I didn't know what to do!" he protested. Misty ignored him and glared daggers at Duplica, whose look of sheer joy seemed to light up the forest.   
  
"What was that for!?" the red-head screamed. Ash had to bite his tongue to keep from letting loose peels of laughter. That's the Misty I know, he thought. "Where do you get off kissing MY man?"  
  
Duplica ignored her. "I love you, Ash!" she blurted. "And I want to help you escape. Soon there will be Elites swarming this place, and they will be after your blood. And the Cause will send in reinforcements to take you in." She made a fist and charged it with Psi. "I would rather be killed a thousand times than let anybody hurt you."  
  
Misty was still histerical. "That still doesn't excuse you from sticking your tongue down Ash's throat!" she bellowed. "Who do you think you are and ..."  
  
With lighting speed, Ash had put a finger on Misty's lips. She soon forgot what she was yelling about. "Misty, you know that you're the only girl for me." he said reassuringly.   
  
Misty gave a dreamy sort of look. "Whaaa ...?" She had forgotten what she was yelling about.  
  
Ash looked over toward the area that Jamie laid. He crouched down by Jamie's side. Ash then surprised everybody when he began to perform CPR on the boy.   
  
Duplica was shocked. "What are you doing? He attacked you! Why are you helping him?"   
  
Ash paid her no heed as he continued to breathe air into Jamie's mouth, then pumping his hands into the boy's chest.   
  
Jamie, Ash thought, I forgive you.  
  
* * * *   
  
"Hello, HQ, do you read?"  
  
Gary cursed loudly when static came as his only response. He tapped his wristcom.  
  
"Hello, HQ, do you copy?" He yelled, the irritation imminent in his voice. He then cried out with joy when a face materialized into the screen of his wristcom.   
  
"Gary?" the face said. "Agent, is that you? Jesus H. Christ, the Psi scanners are going haywire, and it's total bedlam back here, what's going on over there? We can't get a fix on the sources. Situation Report, now!"  
  
Gary searched around the branches before speaking. "Sir, you're not going to believe this, but it appears that we have a threat bigger than the Ultimate on our hands."  
  
"What! Just what the hell are you talking about, Agent?"  
  
Gary wiped off the fresh beads of sweat from his brow. "Sir, the reason that the Psi scanners won't work is because the signature is too corrosive to scan. My Psigogs have blown out!" He lifted the shattered goggles to the screen of his wristcom with his injured hand.  
  
Smith looked horrified. "What?" he said in a low voice.   
  
Gary tossed the now useless glasses into the dirt. "I'm saying that there's no way to get near it without dying, sir! It's over a mile away, and already I'm beginning to feel sick!" Gary clutched his stomach. "And it's getting closer, sir. I can feel it."  
  
The Major threw his hands up in the screen. "Then just how the hell are we supposed to fight this thing if we can't even get close to it, then!?"  
  
A grim face appeared on Gary. "Sir, there is one way. And I think you know what it is, sir."  
  
The Major gave him a quizzical look. "You're not really suggesting ... no, your ... ABSOLUTELY NOT, AGENT! We will not fight fire with an even BIGGER fire!"  
  
"Sir, the Ultimate seems to be the only person that can withstand the deadly effects of the Psi emission. It's the only way, sir."  
  
Major Smith was raging. "We will not train the Ultimate to become stronger than he already is, only to have him wipe us all out in three years. Hell, we might as well sharpen a murderer's axe while we're at it, and then maybe drink some cyanide too, because this will all eventually lead to our destruction, dammit! It's crazy. Absolutely nuts."  
  
Gary regarded him with a look of stone. "Sir, I'm not seeing any other options, are you? If you have another plan, please inform me, sir."  
  
Smith sighed in defeat. There was no other way to get out of it. They would have to find some way to deal with the Ultimate after this had all blown over. "FINE. We ... no ... YOU will train the Ultimate. Take him to Safehouse Beta and train him."  
  
Gary saluted with his injured hand. "Yes sir."  
  
Smith took notice of the bloody bandage that covered Gary's hand. "Before you go, agent, what in the world happened to your hand?"  
  
Gary held up his bandaged hand and wiggled it. "It's the handiwork of the Runaway, sir; combusted my Ion Disruptor while I held it. Got a few shards of shrapnel in it, but it'll be all right. "  
  
Smith's eyes bulged outward. The veins on his bald head had become more visible than ever. "The RUNAWAY!? Oak, why didn't you say that he was here in the first place? Whatever happens, take him in, too!"  
  
Gary's jaw slacked. "But, s-s-sir!" he sputtered. "Take him in? Wh-wh..."  
  
Smith glowered at him. "Oak, you know very well that we have Lekarian agents in Silph." His crimson eyes pierced into Gary's. "I am a Lekarian as well, you know that. We need all the willing Lekarians in Silph that we can get. From the reports that I've read I've found that the Runaway is a very skilled fighter and Pokemon trainer. We could use him in the agency. Don't let your petty prejudices get in the way of your judgment."  
  
The Elite lowered his head in shame. "Sir, forgive me. I'll take him to Safehouse Beta along with the Ultimate."   
  
"I'm glad to hear it, Agent." Smith reached over to shut off the communication.  
  
"Um, sir?"  
  
Smith gave an annoyed sigh. "What is it now, Agent?"  
  
Gary flinched. "Um ... sir ... I'd also like to point out something else."  
  
"Make it quick, Oak."  
  
Gary licked his parched lips. "Sir, it looks like the Ultimate has chosen a mate."  
  
Smith angrily slapped his forehead. "Oh, GREAT. That's just perfect. It's gonna be one big party in Safehouse Beta now!"  
  
The agent winced again. "Sir, I don't think the Ultimate will be willing to go through with this anyway. If he has his mate with him, it will make the whole experience that much more bearable."  
  
The Major waved his hand as if he were trying to swat flies. "Fine, then. Take her too."  
  
Smith pointed a gnarly finger at him through the wristcom screen. "Just remember, Agent. If this fails, it'll be on YOUR ass."  
  
Gary gave a bitter smile. "With all due respect, sir, if this fails, there won't BE anyone to get on my ass. Agent Oak, out." Gary stonily shut off his wristcom. Staring up at the stars, he pulled the crucifix from under his shirt and kissed it. Jesus, what have I gotten myself into?  
  
He pulled out one of his Pokeballs. "Go, Umbreon!" he whispered. The black and yellow Dark type materialized before him, his red eyes peering up at him questioningly.  
  
"Umb?" the Pokemon demanded. "Breon um umbreon?"  
  
Gary had a grim look on his face. "Umbreon, we're gonna have to use your long-range Teleport technique for this mission."  
  
Umbreon's face scrunched up in protest. "Umbre!"   
  
"Don't ask me why, Umbreon. Only know that you performing it is of the utmost importance." Gary hated having to make Umbreon perform its long-range Teleport. It severely drained Umbreon's energy, leaving him practically comatose after using it. It was a grim decision, but Gary - like training Ash - could see no other alternatives. "Be ready on my signal."  
  
Umbreon regarded him with a spiteful scowl. "Umbreon, bre bre um breon!"  
  
Gary gave a an apologetic sigh. "Listen, Umbreon. I know that I promised you that I would never make you do it again, but this is really important. Now be ready to do it on my signal."  
  
"BREON!"  
  
Gary growled as he held his fist up, charging it with Psi. Umbreon's lack of cooperation was wearing down his last nerve. "Do you know how to take an order!?"   
  
Umbreon flinched slightly, but his reluctance still remained. "Umbreon." He squeaked softly. It tore Gary apart. He loathed yelling at his Pokemon.   
  
After witnessing so many times how Ash treated his, Gary had looked back on how he used to treat his Pokemon and almost kicked himself. Gary had always been jealous of Ash; the way he and his Pokemon got along, it was almost unnatural. That's why Gary forever waged a silent war against him. Deep down in his heart, Gary knew that he could never make that kind of connection with HIS Pokemon, now matter how hard he tried.   
  
But he learned to try his best to follow Ash's example. Although Ash never knew it, or Gary ever admit it, Gary idolized him. Every morning Gary would stare into the mirror and tell himself that he would be more like Ash. He worshipped him.   
  
"I'm sorry, Umbreon." Gary whispered, lowering his fist. "Ok, I'll try something else. I'm not ordering you to do this. I'm asking you, as a friend, and as a partner." Gary patted Umbreon on his furry head. "Will you please do this?"  
  
Umbreon's eyes shimmered. "... Umbre!" he replied happily.  
  
Gary beamed. "Good, Umbreon. Now let's go help save the world."  
  
* * * *   
  
"Pikachu, help me out, here!"   
  
Ash was losing hope. No matter how many times he pumped air into Jamie's lungs, he wouldn't seem to start breathing. In despair, he turned to Pikachu.  
  
"Give him a Thundershock!"  
  
Pikachu blinked. Why was Pikapi telling him to help the same person that almost killed him? It confused the electric rodent. It just didn't make sense.  
  
"What are you waiting for, Pikachu?" Ash asked, exasperated. "Do it!" Pikachu sighed as he charged up his electric cheek sacs and began to empty them into Jamie's body.   
  
Misty and Duplica watched the makeshift operation take place. They both were in awe.   
  
Misty had found it in her heart to forgive Jamie for what he had attempted to do, but forgiveness wasn't enough to nullify her anger. Her heart skipped a beat when she understood just how close she was to losing Ash. The very same feeling that had seeped into her when Ash had been caught in the PokeBomb's explosion had reentered her.   
  
She was still sympathetic towards Jamie, though. In his lifetime he had suffered a lot. It amazed her that he could find his parent's murdered bodies and not become some psychotic killer. It was a testament to his strength. Still, to see Jamie helpless and injured on the ground with Pikachu trying to shock his heart back to life pained her. She loved him like a brother.  
  
Duplica, on the other hand, was astounded that Ash would try to help Jupiter in the first place. He had made a direct attempt on his life! This would not stand. And yet, just like she couldn't take Ash in to become the perfect weapon, she couldn't bring herself to try and stop Ash from saving the life of the Runaway.   
  
The Runaway, notorious for being an unstoppable force, having killed many a Tri and Hunter, managing to live his life while constantly being attacked by people of her organization, had been taken down in a single blast. Duplica couldn't help but feel sorry for him. After all, he was a Lekarian, like her. Lekarians were supposed to be strong. Seeing him lying on the grass and dirt in a puddle of blood sickened her.   
  
Still, she was ashamed of herself for letting Ash come so close to death. She was a Cause agent, it was her duty to protect the Ultimate in these years. It made her more than a little angry to know that there was someone out there stronger than her. That Synaptic Shock move frightened her. While under it, she was helpless to rescue Ash from Jupiter. If it weren't for the blast that came from the sky, he probably would be dead.   
  
She choked back the tears at the thought of Ash dead; his lifeless corpse sprawled across the ground. No, with the blast that Jupiter had in store for him, there wouldn't even BE a corpse. The Psionic energy would have consumed Ash.   
  
Duplica knew that if Ash was killed, she was as good as dead. She knew that she could never find the strength to carry on if he were to die. Shortly after meeting him for the first time, she vowed that if anything were to ever happen to him she would take her own Phase Disruptor to her head and pull the trigger. She couldn't live without her Ashy-Boy...  
  
Duplica blushed slightly when she made a small mental note of how fine the Runaway was to look upon. Having two attractive Lekarian males in front of her was doing justice on her hormones. She then regained her composure, as the time to ogle boys was not now.  
  
Ash cried out triumphantly when Jamie finally choked and gasped the blood that had filled his lungs.  
  
* * * *   
  
"This is it, Richie." Ashura said, the glowing red dots that were his eyes burning with an intensity that no water could quench. "Are you ready?"  
  
Richie regarded him with an astonished look. "ME? Ready? I should be asking you the same question, Ashura my man. You're about ta meet yer bro for the first time!"  
  
"I'm aware of that, Richie." Ashura responded coolly as they floated down toward the group below them. He wanted to take it nice and slow. There was no hurry. Richie, however, wasn't as patient as the smaller Lekarian.   
  
"My bro." Ashura said, mostly to himself. "Yes, my BRO." He turned to Richie. "My 'bro' and I will have a nice ... talk. Before I kill him, that is. When we are done 'talking' then you may test your abilities on the others."   
  
Richie made a face. "Are you gonna be long?" he whined, much like a petulant child. "'Cause I wanna KILL SOMETHING!"  
  
"Like I've told you before, Richie, patience is a virtue—"  
  
"Which I'm not." Richie cut him off."  
  
"—so be patient!" Ashura finished, ignoring Richie's interruption. "If you're extra good, maybe I'll let you take that red-haired one as your personal concubine. Wouldn't that be nice?"  
  
The taller teen's eyes lit up. "Alright!" he cheered, firing a small Psi bolt into the air. Sparky yelped in surprise and almost lost his grip on Richie's shoulder.   
  
"Perfect. Now let's not waste any more time discussing this. We go now."  
  
* * * *   
  
"Why ...... did you ...... do it?" Jamie coughed up a few more drops of blood before he could talk again. "Y-y-you ... s-saved me ..."  
  
Ash blinked. "Of course I saved you! And what is it with this 'why-did-you-do-it' crap? Because it's the right thing to do?"  
  
Jamie wouldn't buy it. "Ash," he rasped, "I made a direct attempt on your life. For all you know I could do it again right now. I have the energy. You should've probably left me to drown in my own blood."  
  
Ash gave grim smile. "Well, I guess I'll just have to take that risk, then." He slowly helped the boy to his feet. "After all, I've risked my life plenty of times, so what's another?"  
  
Jamie couldn't help but have respect for this person. Even though that he had tried to kill him right then and there, he still found it in his heart to give him a little CPR.   
  
Jamie smirked. "I just hope that you didn't enjoy putting your lips on mine TOO much."   
  
Ash's smile turned wry. "Don't push your luck, Jamie. You are still weak. I could do some serious damage on you right now."  
  
"You'd be surprised at what I can still do while injured, Ash."  
  
Just then he doubled over, clutching his stomach in agony. He gave a cry of pain that curdled Ash's blood. In the sudden panic of the situation, Ash dropped him to the ground, watching him curl up in the fetal position, sobbing.  
  
He spun around to see the others having the same reaction. Duplica was screaming, holding her stomach and chest like something was trying to burst out. Pikachu was giving off small bolts of electricity as he screamed his torture. Then he saw Misty, who wasn't making a sound.   
  
She lay down in the grass, blood trickling from her mouth.  
  
"MISTY?"  
  
Ash rushed over to her. He shook her desperately. She still wouldn't move. Her eyes had rolled over to the back of her head.  
  
"MISTY!"   
  
* * * *  
  
"Ashura, what's goin' on, man?" He pointed to the figures below. "Why are they getting' sick aluva sudden? Don't tell me that they'll be dead before I have any fun with them!"  
  
Ashura was calm as the descended toward them. "With these new powers that I now posses came new energies. It is death to even come close to me. My body now emits harmful Psionic rays that no life form can withstand for very long. It is similar to being around uranium, only worse."  
  
Richie cocked his head in confusion. "Well, then how come I'm not gettin' all sick and stuff?"  
  
The look that Ashura gave him made Richie want to cringe. "Because of the powers I gave you with this." He held his Ragana before him. "You cannot disperse deadly Psi rays like me, but your body can hold its own against them." His eyes gleamed. "Why do you think I gave them to you in the first place? I can't have my personal bodyguard double over and die whenever he gets near me."  
  
"... bodyguard?"  
  
"Yes, bodyguard! What part of that don't you understand? You are my new bodyguard."  
  
Richie became meek. "Uh, with all due respect, Ashura, I don't think that you really NEED a bodyguard."  
  
Ashura waved his hand in annoyance. "Have it your way, then. You can be just a figurehead, a representation of a protector. How's that?"  
  
The larger Lekarian didn't answer, but merely nodded. Sparky nodded in unison along with his trainer. What had he gotten himself into?  
  
* * * *   
  
Ash looked up into the sky. Using his newly acquired vision, he could make out their forms.  
  
One was considerably tall, sporting a matt of brown hair. Muscles bulged throughout his body, reflecting his strength. A Pikachu was perched on his shoulder. The boy wore a large, malicious smirk. Wait, a Pikachu?  
  
Only one other person that he knew of carried his Pikachu on his shoulder. No ... it wasn't ... could it be ...?  
  
"Richie?" Ash breathed.  
  
His eyes darted to the other figure. Wild black hair, with crimson streaks lining it here and there. Black lightning sparked around him his he moved closer to the ground. Red and black eyes stared down back at him. And that face. Where had Ash seen that face before? It was ... too familiar.  
  
Ash then gasped when he realized what it was. It hit him like Jamie's hook kick. Now he remembered where he had seen that face.   
  
A mirror.   
  
* * * *   
  
(A/N) ... and then Ashura blew him up THE END!!! Just kidding. Sorry for the wait, peeps. School has been overwhelming. Chapter ten will be done ASAP. SEE YA!! 


	10. Bloody Bouts and Outside Observations

Ash's Gift  
By MegamanZero  
Part Ten: Bloody Bouts and Outside Observations  
nmc_512@yahoo.com  
AAMRN  
Ash: 15Misty: 16Brock: 20Duplica: 15  
Jamie: 16Gary: 16Jesse and James: 21  
Richie: 17Ashura: 15Todd: 16Sabrina: 17  
  
A/N: Well I hope you are all happy. My grades are declining because of you SOB's !!! Just kidding. I've spent most of my time writing this, and yet I still manage to get top grades!!!   
  
I would like to express my foremost thanks to Maki (SaiyanMaki@aol.com) for giving his enthusiastic support for this little, no, big fic. It's nice to know that I have a fan out there, although I would advise him to get some sleep, as the lack of sleep will result in him going crazy and dying in that order. Catch those Z's, buddy!  
  
I would also like to give a shoutout to Mitsuki moon for being such a cool girl. You rule, Ashlee-chan!!! ;)  
  
Following The Myrthil Gryphon's advice, I will TRY to add an Ash/Misty/Duplica love triangle, but I'm not making any promises. By doing that I will have to change A LOT of my original plans for the plotline, so here it is. Brace yourself, this is gonna be a long one.  
  
Disclaimer: Read my lips. What's that? You can't see them?? Grrrr, fine I'll say it. I DON'T OWN POKEMON!!! * bows deeply, head bonks into his kneecaps *  
  
* * * *   
  
"Remember me, Ash-man!!?"   
  
Ash recognized that voice, but he never remembered it being projected in a maliciously cruel tone. The last time he had seen Richie was at the Indigo League, where the boy had won by default simply because Ash's Charizard wouldn't obey him.   
  
Ash remembered Richie as a thoughtful, caring person who would never harm a fly. But now he realized that was all just an act. Ash gritted his teeth as he saw Richie for what he was: a complete psychopath.   
  
"Yeah, I remember you, Richie." Ash replied coldly. "You used to be a good person. Now you've become a killer."   
  
Richie rolled his eyes while Sparky cackled madly. "REALITY CHECK, Ketchum. I've ALWAYS been a killer, and a very good one at that. You remember the Pokemon Land Massacre, don't you, ASHY-BOY??"   
  
Ash's blood began to boil. Although he didn't know how he could do it, he could see directly into Richie's mind. He saw nothing but corruption and filth in it. "You ... bastard. It ... was ... you ..."   
  
"Guilty as charged, my good man." he responded, his voice drenched with pride. "It was my assignment to attack a famous Kanto landmark. And I NEVER fail a mission, especially when a good helping of carnage is involved. Ain't that right, Sparky?" His head jerked to meet the Pikachu perched on his shoulder. Sparky's cheek sacs crackled in response.  
  
Ash remembered hearing about it on the news. It was terrible; people in panic, burning bodies littering the park, reporters screaming into the cameras their last words before being blown into oblivion. There were no survivors to the Massacre, only the footage of it. Everyone thought it was a terrorist bombing of some sort. Now Ash knew the truth.  
  
"You ... sick ... son of a bitch ..." Ash breathed, his body shaking with rage.   
  
"By the way, Ashy-boy." Richie said airily, ignoring Ash's curses. "You still sore about me whooping your ass in the Pokemon league? Hope there's still no hard feelings about it." He doubled over in laughter. "NOT!"   
  
Ash wanted so badly to kill him. Just the thought of ripping his ... NO! The urges again! Ash couldn't let himself transform into that monster. Ash gritted his teeth until he thought they were worn down to nubs. He HAD to control his anger.   
  
But this other person floating next to him had really caught his attention. Despite the wild hair and the crimson eyes, it was the same face Ash had woken up to every time he looked into a mirror. The same visage he witnessed every time he saw his reflection in water.   
  
The burning effigy-like figure of himself spoke down to him as he descended. "Hello, Aries." Ash shuddered at the voice. It sounded to him like more than one person speaking, as if several other people's words were coming out of his mouth.   
  
Ash clutched Misty's limp form, whose breathing had become shallow. "Who are you?" he growled, his voice low and seething. Ash could only feel one thing that vibrated through the air. Evil.   
  
As his counterpart's feet tapped to the ground, Misty and the others suddenly stirred to life.  
  
"I have put a hold against the deadlier Psionic waves emanating from my body." he stated as the air fluctuated. "They are safe from the volatile energies that I emit ... for now."   
  
Ash helped Misty to her feet as the others slowly forced themselves off the ground. "You still haven't answered my question. Who in THE HELL are you?"   
  
"Ah, yes, of course; the introductions. Well then, allow me to finally introduce myself." He took a deep bow. "My name is Ashura." He motioned toward Duplica. "I believe one of you already knows me." Duplica growled.   
  
Ashura pulled out his Ragana, to which Duplica shrieked in terror. "And I, Aries, am your brother."   
  
"Why do you keep calling ... BROTHER!?"   
  
"Yes, it does seem quite impossible, doesn't it? Well, I suppose before I kill you that I should inform you of how I am able to exist." He idly rolled his Ragana around with his fingers. Duplica put a hand over her mouth and pointed a shaking finger at him.  
  
"The ... the ... the ... Ragana!"   
  
Ashura ignored her. "I will make it quite explicit, brother. I trust that you have accepted the fact that you are the Ultimate?" He raised his eyebrows expectantly. Ash only gave a stiff nod, the muscles in his neck and jaw clenched beyond belief.   
  
"You were created fifteen years ago and implanted in a human woman." Ashura gave a curt sneer. "Our MOTHER. However, when you were created there was a slight problem that no one had ever calculated." He waved his hands out. "What you see before you IS that problem. Your embryo split into two halves: you and me."   
  
"We were separated at birth, you and I. At first they thought me a useless by-product, a flawed copy of you. But I ended up surprising them all by becoming the best agent Team Rocket has ever had!" His eyes gleamed dangerously once again. Richie and Sparky flinched.   
  
Ash still didn't understand. "Then how come I wasn't taken in with you? Why was I raised outside of Team Rocket?"   
  
"It is quite simple, brother. The only reason that you weren't taken in along with me was because you WERE NOT Lekarian. How is that possible, you ask?" He flipped his Ragana in the air, expertly catching it on the tip of his index finger, to which Duplica gave a small squeak. "When you were born, your Lekarian genes had gone into dormancy. At first they thought YOU were the useless by-product and that I was the Ultimate, but upon giving my infant form a medical examination after liberating me from our MOTHER, they learned otherwise." Ashura's smile held no humor.   
  
The air rippled once more as he continued. "Instead of killing me right from the get go, they took pity on me." Ashura sneered again. "They thought me the little weakling, and didn't have the heart to kill me, so they took me in and trained me as they would any other Lekarian youth, in hopes that I would overcome my "weakness".   
  
Everyone jumped as he fired off a large bolt of black lightning into the sky. "As you can see, I am anything BUT weak."   
  
Ashura pointed his Ragana at the group. "At first it was my mission to capture you so you could be trained, but it seems like there was a little"- the Ragana began to glow an angry red - "change of plans."   
  
Suddenly Ash couldn't seem to blink. He couldn't even gasp in surprise and horror when he it dawned on him that he couldn't move a single muscle.   
  
Ashura gave a smile that made Ash want to shudder, if he could. "I am quite the ambitious fellow, you see. I plan on ruling this world someday. Even still, with my newfound abilities, you are still the only person that poses a significant threat to me. Future threat, that is."   
  
He jerked his thumb towards Richie. "I am here to stem that threat. So before I kill you"- Richie advanced toward the group -"you get to witness your friends get torn apart limb from limb by Richie!"   
  
* * * *   
  
"Meowth ... please ... wake up ..."   
  
Jessie cradled Meowth's limp body in her arms, weeping. Meowth wasn't breathing. His body temperature had dropped significantly. "Please ... come back to us ..."   
  
"Jessie." James put his hand on her shoulder. His eyes were red and puffy. "He's ... gone. Please, Jessie, put him down." His whole body shook as he choked back a sob. "Jessie, please ..."   
  
"MEOWTH!!!" Jessie cried into the night sky as she retreated back into loud tears.   
  
The dam broke in their tear-ducts, and James joined her in the grim mourning of Meowth. They had tried their best to revive him. CPR, potions, Super potions, MAX potions, Elixers, none of them seemed to be able to get his heart beating again. Meowth was dead; stone dead.   
  
They cried and wept and sobbed until their throats felt raw bloody. Then they wept some more, their tears forming a small pool around the lifeless vessel.   
  
* * * *   
  
"Heh heh heh, well what have we here?" Richie said slyly as he moved toward the group. "A couple of fine ladies, I'll say." His leer took the breath out of Misty and Duplica.   
  
"You stay away from me, Richie!" Duplica shrieked as she fired a bolt of Psi at him. The beam bounced harmlessly off of his chest. He blinked once in confusion, and then he looked just plain annoyed.  
  
"You know I don't like to be tickled, Dup-girl." he taunted. Then, with speed that Duplica could never hope to fathom, the mad Lekarian charged forward and slammed his fist into her face. Her body flailed like a rag-doll as she flew through the air. She landed with a thud, spitting blood from her mouth.  
  
Duplica knew her jaw wasn't broken, but the pain betrayed that fact. It hurt badly, like nothing she had ever felt before. She clutched her face as a violent sob rocked her body. She wanted to just lie down on the ground and die, just to rid her of the pain.  
  
Richie, however wasn't finished with her. "Sparky?" His head jerked toward the Pikachu. "Give her a nice little Thundershock, please."  
  
"You have no idea how long I've been waiting to do this, baby." Richie stated. Sparky cackled loudly as he shot forth bolt after bolt of electricity into Duplica.   
  
Duplica's shrieks echoed through the night. It confused and maddened her. Why was it causing her so much pain? Weren't Lekarians supposed to have high tolerances to the elements?   
  
Her body felt as though it had combusted into flame. The white-hot torture surged through her body, searing her senses and gripping her muscles like a vice. Soon she began to feel light-headed.   
  
Just then the pain ended as abruptly as it had started. A bellow could be heard, followed by a loud grunt of pain. She heard a thundering crash as Richie was sent flying into a tree, then a loud CRACK! as the tree gave way and teetered to the ground.   
  
She lifted her head up and foggily wondered what the hell just happened. Through a slight blur caused by sensory overload, she could make out the Runaway's lithe form just a few feet in front of her.   
  
He had saved her life.   
  
... but why?  
  
"How do ya like THEM apples!?" she heard him holler. Blue lightning sparked and crackled around the Runaway as he charged his Psi. Duplica's jaw dropped in disbelief.  
  
(What is going on here!?) she thought to herself. (Where did all that power come from? How did he become so strong? And how did he recover so fast?)  
  
Jamie raised his hands to the sky. The veins in the boy's neck and head bulged outward as a large, pulsing blue ball formed in his outstretched palms.   
  
"BALL-LIGHTNING ASSUALT HHHHYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!" he roared as shot forth the sphere of energy into the direction where Richie had flown. All eyes, including the target's, followed the massive ball as it struck with a loud BOOM!  
  
Richie screamed as the spherical blast hit him full on. The shockwave knocked him back violently into some more trees.   
  
Ashura was not pleased.   
  
After that huge power surge he had given him, the weakling STILL wasn't strong enough to even take on the Runaway! Hmmph, well, at least he got to Duplica. Oh well, he thought, maybe I'll let him try a little more before I intervene.   
  
Jamie's eyes gave a deadly gleam that could've made a Tyrannitar cower. "Didn't your mama ever tell you that it was impolite to hit girls?"  
  
"On the contrary, my good man," a voice called from the splintery wreckage, "SHE DIDN'T!" Richie called upon his Psi and forced himself off the ground and into the air. "I wasn't expecting a goddamn match, Runaway." He wiped some blood off his brow. "But, I guess I'll just hafta kick your ass too!"  
  
"I'm waiting." Jamie sneered.   
  
Richie howled and charged toward the shorter boy.   
  
Misty took advantage of the confusion and ran to Ash, still frozen. "Ash!" she cried. "ASH!" She reached out and touched his arm.  
  
Hard and stiff as a rock.  
  
Ash wished with all his heart that he could answer her, but he couldn't even so much as nod, much less move his lips and control his vocal cords. He might as well have been a statue.  
  
Misty was furious. "What did you do to him?" she cried at the sinister reflection of Ash that was standing not twenty feet from her in the clearing. She had to shout over the rough sounds of the combat between Richie and Jamie.   
  
Ashura took a moment to study his brother's mate. Her fiery orange hair was wrapped in a sort of untidy bun at the side of her head. She sported a pair of short jean-shorts that revealed most of her shapely legs. Covering her top was a bright yellow shirt that revealed her belly button at her midriff area. Her emerald green eyes spoke of raw fury as she looked at him.   
  
For a human, he thought, she IS quite good-looking. My brother does have good taste after all. Hmm, too bad she soon won't be among the living.   
  
"What does it look like, girl?" he responded coolly, not bothering to raise his voice. "I have taken his ability to move about. After all, I can't have him run away from me before we ever had a chance to sit down and have REAL talk, can I?" His air of sinister calm frightened Misty. But what were even more disturbing to her were his eyes: those horrible red and black eyes that reminded her of drops of fresh blood floating atop a pool of oil.   
  
"You mean before you could kill him." She seethed.   
  
"Ah, so you WERE paying attention! How very observant of you. Speaking of observations, why don't you join me in the watching of the Runaway and Richie engaging in a battle to the death? Ah, I just love segues. Don't you?"  
  
Misty blanched at his words. This guy is nuts! How could he be so calm and casual about killing someone?  
  
Still, she couldn't fight the compulsion to watch helplessly as Jamie and Richie fought on.   
  
* * * *   
  
Richie roared in frustration as he began to throw punch after lightning-fast punch, only to hit nothing but air. What little patience he had was growing thin. This damn Runaway should be dead by now! Why can't I land a single hit on him?  
  
His thoughts were interrupted by a bone-crushing blow to the ribs, followed by a quick kick to the side of his jaw. The assailant spun from the round kick in preparation for another attack. The kick was only a means to distract Richie from blocking the powerful spin side-kick that smashed into his sternum.   
  
The pain seemed to explode through Richie's body as he was flung back once again into the pile of broken tree. Sparky vigilantly held on to his master's shoulder as they both crashed to the clearing floor.   
  
"DAMMIT!" Richie swore as he spit out a tooth. He staggered to his feet. "Spark, give me a power surge!" Sparky obeyed as he used a powerful Thundershock on his trainer.  
  
Sparks of electricity hissed and crackled around Richie's body as he took on a yellow glow. His muscles bulged outward with equal ferocity as he gave a loud roar.   
  
Jamie was unfazed. "Ohhh, I'm soooo scared." He marveled, his voice strung out with sarcasm. "So you've turned into a big, hulking firefly. Big deal. I've seen a move similar to that and believe me buddy, yours looks pretty crappy."   
  
"Talk all you want, Runaway!" Richie snarled, his blood red eyes swimming with rage. "It'll only make it that much more painful when I rip your damn heart out!"  
  
Jamie raised his hand and opened and closed his palm in a mock gesture of a mouth. "Blah, blah, blah." He cupped his other hand to his ear. "Hear that? Shhh..."   
  
Richie blinked. "Hear what?" All he heard was the soft humming of their auras.  
  
Jamie's smirk faded twisted into a mischievous sneer. "That's the sound of me NOT CARING!"  
  
It took a moment for the insult to set in. Richie's eye twitched. Then the left side of his mouth twitched. Soon the whole left side of his face was caught in a frantic tic. He uttered a low growl as his face became as red as his eyes.   
  
The low humming sound that had emitted from his body rose in an angry crescendo as it turned into what sounded like a smoke alarm. The whole group watched, horrified, as his aura burned with the intensity of a thousand suns.  
  
Then something happened. Richie's muscles bugled outward with such girth that they seemed to stretch his skin. Everyone gasped when his eyes took on a deadly crimson shine. He let out a roar that would make a Charizard cower.  
  
Richie had entered the Rage.   
  
With a loud squeak, Sparky flung himself off his shoulder and darted into the nearby brush.  
  
Richie's deadly gaze fixed onto Jamie's shocked form. Jamie sweatdropped as the lumbering Lekarian advanced toward him.  
  
Great, Jamie thought. Me and my big mouth.  
  
* * * *   
  
Sabrina gasped.  
  
Her nightly meditation was violently cut short as a sudden surge of energy ripped through her body and mind. She flailed her feet into the air as she was rocked backward. The girl grunted loudly as her back thudded onto her old prayer mat.   
  
She lay on her prayer mat, shaken, her bosom heaving as she struggled to draw a breath. Her skin was covered in a thick sheen of sweat. Strands of long, green hair clung to her face. Her once clean, dry kimono was now drenched in the liquid, the fabric sticking to her damp skin.   
  
Managing to get a breath, she slowly began to pick herself up. It shocked to realize that her muscles ached and cramped, as if she had spent all day at her martial arts training without any breaks for food or water. She shuddered when her usually strong legs buckled and strained under the weight of her body.  
  
Cursing, she focused her psychic energies from under herself, forcing her body off the ground. She hovered above her prayer mat, wondering why what just happened occurred, when Haunter shimmered into the visible spectrum before her.  
  
"Sabrina," he spoke in telepathy, "I just felt these really weird energies and ...WHOA! What happened to you!? You look like you've seen a ghost!" Haunter took a moment to ponder, than the Ghost-type doubled over in his usual cackle over his own bad pun.  
  
"Charming, Haunter." She replied coolly, though the usual calmness of her voice still had the hint of a small tremor. "But this isn't a laughing matter. Not even over one of your bad puns." Her mouth curled into a tiny smile, but their dialogue was interrupted by the presence of Alakazam, who had not a second ago Teleported into the room.  
  
"Mistress Sabrina, I've just sensed –"  
  
"I know." Sabrina interrupted. "Haunter and I felt the same thing."  
  
"HAUNTER sensed it too?" Alakazam asked incredulously, raising an eyebrow. "Then it must be serious. That idiot couldn't sense a psychic disturbance if it danced naked in front of him holding my two spoons."  
  
Haunter perked up. "Someone's gonna dance naked in front of me? Cool!"  
  
Alakazam groaned. "No, you dingbat, I was insulting you."   
  
"Insulting me? Now why wouldja wanna do that?"  
  
"Because I despise you."  
  
"Hey, I resent that! Waitaminute, what does 'despise' mean? Waitasec, what does 'resent' mean? I heard it on a soap opera once."  
  
Sabrina remained levitated as she watched the silly verbal bout between Alakazam and Haunter. She laughed inwardly. Alakazam and Haunter were the only two beings who could squeeze a chuckle out of her.  
  
She took a brief moment to study them. They were as different as night and day. Alakazam, a Psychic Pokemon, was organized, concise, thoughtful, and usually humorless. Haunter, a Ghost type, was wild, rambunctious, silly, chock-full of humor, innocent, and was about as subtle as a rampaging stampede of a herd of Tauros afflicted with Mad Cow disease. But they created a sort of balance in the gym. She appreciated that. They were like brothers.  
  
Suddenly it happened again. The air rippled and pulsed as if it were alive. Then an impact, an invisible impact, which seemed to shock through their very being, filled the presence. Windows shattered; plates cracked and broke where they stood. The ancient grandfather clock that stood propped up by the window in her meditation went haywire, its hands spinning wildly in all directions.   
  
She heard dogs barking and howling outside, and blanched when she realized that it wasn't the moon they were crying out at. Car alarms sang their ear-splitting song. Hoot Hoots and Noctowls screeched their warning. The single light bulb that lit the room flashed on and off with the vigorousness of a strobe light.   
  
Sabrina took action. Clearing her mind and focusing her powers, she sheathed the gym in a blanket of Psi. The blanket absorbed all external sounds and energies that entered the gym, replacing the racket and bedlam with an eerie silence.   
  
"Well," Alakazam said incisively, completely unfazed. "THAT was certainly disturbing." Alakazams were not known for being easily flustered.  
  
"Yeah, that WAS pretty creepy." Haunter agreed.   
  
Sabrina had a grim expression. "Yes, disturbing indeed, boys. I've never felt anything like this before." She closed her eyes.  
  
"I'm going to investigate the source." She said, eyes still closed. Clearing her mind of all thought, she projected her soul out of her body. She was one with the earth, and all the minds that inhabited it. She understood. She felt. She knew. She WAS.   
  
"Godspeed." Alakazam wished her luck as her mind left her body on her psychic journey.  
  
Sense.   
  
She felt around, feeling this new energy, embracing it, analyzing it. It repulsed her. It was disgusting. Yet she couldn't give up, though it brought a terrible feeling to her stomach. She traced it, followed it. Her mind was free to move about the world as much as she saw fit.  
  
Strange.   
  
The energy signature seemed to stretch for hundreds of miles around, its grasping tendrils seemed to reach to the sky itself. They reached for her, calling her, beckoning for her to come closer. She followed, knowing that she couldn't delve too far trying to understand the energies, lest her mind be tainted by their vile touch.  
  
Sight.   
  
A vision of a deciduous forest clearing shimmered to life inside her mind. She sensed an array of other minds beside her own. Focusing, she could make out the bodies that encased the minds.   
  
A large, burly teenager with messy brown hair, glowing red eyes, and muscles that would put Mr. Universe to shame was lumbering toward someone. He had rough features, with a deep scar that zigzagged across his left cheek. He moved and thought like a wild animal. She saw nothing but unbridled, primitive fury in his mind. His thoughts were erratic, inane, and inconsistent. She quickly made the speculation that the teen had gone mad.  
  
That someone was a boy, not a year younger than her. He had a lithe, muscular form wrapped in torn, ragged clothing. Despite his ruined clothes, on his scalp rested a mat of impeccably perfect shiny brown hair. He had a strong, square jaw line which rested below lips that seemed to always have the hint of smile upon them. His eyes reminded her of two rubies encased in marble. Through those eyes she could dive into his soul.  
  
She was shocked when she landed into his mind. Pain, suffering, and confusion wrapped around a deep hatred wrought the depths of his being. She saw losses, sacrifices, yearning; questions that begged to be answered. Thoughts so vague and enigmatic that she dare not try to decrypt them, for if she attempted to do so, she could lose her mind.  
  
She could never dig too deep into a person's soul, it was dangerous, risky. It was like swimming too far into the ocean. At some point in depth, the pressure would be too great to bear. The pressure of too many other thoughts scattered around her own would shatter her mind, leaving her body an empty shell.  
  
Her focus jerked towards another mind. The body that surrounded the mind was a feminine, yet powerful figure, wrapped in a tight black bodysuit with the blood red letters "T" and "R" printed on the chest area. Long, flowing blue hair wrapped in two pony tails rested on her head. She had a heart-shaped face with deep crimson eyes. Those eyes acted as two large windows for Sabrina to seep into the girl's mind.  
  
She could sense pain in this one as well, although not as intense as the other mind she visited. She mostly saw a deep love and caring for someone, although she couldn't sense who. Remembering not to dive too deep, she left the girl's mind and moved onto another.  
  
A slender body covered in a yellow tank top and blue jean shorts greeted the invisible psychic projection of Sabrina. The body was feminine and curvaceous, but not as muscular as the one she saw before. A bundle of orange hair was wrapped in a wild ball on the side of her head. She had soft facial features and emerald eyes sparkling with tears. Sabrina slipped into her mind.  
  
A burning love even more potent than the previous mind greeted her as she dove into her subconscious. It wasn't just a love. No. It was a bond. A commitment. A connection. Her mind and the mind of the one she loved shared an intimacy only few would ever know. Sabrina marveled at this. It was like nothing she had ever seen before. Prying herself from the girl's thoughts, she looked onto the next sentient being.  
  
Spiky locks of raven hair rested just above a pair of piercing, yet disturbingly comforting, amber eyes. Surrounding those eyes was a handsome face that was frozen in place. The firm, muscular body was in some sort of hold, as if some invisible force kept him from moving. Sabrina knew very well what that force was.   
  
A very powerful type of Psi.   
  
She pushed her way into the boy's mind. The same loving bond that she found in the other girl was present. A sort of boyish innocence laced his mind. There was also anguish, as if he were in some type of peril.   
  
Peril?  
  
She frantically searched the area. Her probing mind fell upon another figure. Wild black hair lined with crimson streaks. Dark, oily eyes with two blood red dots in the center; features strangely similar to her previous subject. No, in fact, exactly similar, from the beaked nose right down to the soft jaw line. The same physiques. But, oddly enough, a different mind.   
  
A dangerous mind. A deadly mind. A soul so corrupted, so filthy, that she dare not even get close to it. It was the polar opposite of it's predecessor.  
  
But, the peril ...  
  
She studied the scene. She saw their movements, their facial expressions, their thoughts, their feelings. Then her mind was hit with the shocking force of recognition.   
  
She knew some of these people. She new it was Ash, Misty, Brock, and a few unfamiliar faces.   
  
And worse, she new they were in danger.  
  
* * * *   
  
A loud WHOOSH! echoed through her mind as her consciousness slammed back into her body. Slightly gasping, her eyes fluttered open. Two Pokemon greeted her.  
  
"Welcome back, Mistress." Alakazam stated, bowing.   
  
"Glad to have ya back, Sabrina." Haunter said, a wide grin on his face.  
  
They noticed her glazed, vacant, and shocked state. That could only mean one thing.  
  
Danger.  
  
"Mistress!" Alakazam spoke up in a mildly worried tone that poorly masked his true uneasiness. "What is wrong?"  
  
Sabrina's dark eyes met Alakazam. Her words were barely a whisper.  
  
"Ash is in trouble."  
  
* * * *   
  
A/N: WHEW! Finally finished! And a whopping eleven pages to boot! Huzzah! Anywho, I'm glad that yet another chapter is finally finished. Please keep the reviews concise. Thank you for tolerating my terrible punctuality.  
  
This fic was brought to you by:  
  
MegamanZero, who is still hard at work concocting his plans to hold the world ransom for ONE MEEEEEEEEEELLIIIIIIIIOOOON DOLLARS. 


	11. Complications Arise

Ash's Gift By MegamanZero Part Eleven: Complications Arise nmc_512@yahoo.com AAMRN  
  
Ash: 15 Misty : 16 Brock: 20 Duplica: 15 Jamie: 16 Gary: 16 Jesse and James: 21 Richie: 17 Ashura: 15 Todd: 16 Sabrina: 17  
  
A/N: Ah, yes, the dreaded Author's Note. Fortunately, I'm gonna try to keep this little note fairly brief, so maybe now you can take that gun away from your head. Just take your finger off the trigger and *BLAM*....oh, poopie. -_- First, I'd like to express my foremost apologies to Maki. Maki is not a guy; she is in fact a girl. Sorry for making the mistake there, Maki. Now, excuse me while I go jump off this building. _ Finally, I'd like to formally apologize to all reading this fic over my bad punctuality. There, I said it. HAPPY!!?? o_O  
  
Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with Pokemon, Creatures, or Gamefreak yadda yadda yadda...Zzzzzzzzzzz...  
  
* * * *  
  
"What kind of trouble?"  
  
Sabrina's feet touched to the ground. She regarded Alakazam with an obvious look. "Listen, I don't have time to explain it to you. Just read my mind while I begin the preparations."  
  
"What preparations?"  
  
Sabrina threw her hands up impatiently. "Again, read my mind! I don't have time to stand around making idle talk!!" She darted off into the hall.  
  
Alakazam couldn't contain his shock as he probed her thoughts. Ash? In trouble? In need of help? Why, that boy is wilier than a Meowth and ten times as resourceful. What could be so important that he would be in need of my Mistress's help?  
  
The Pokemon sighed when he could find nothing in her mind. He found no concrete details of what was the matter. She was blocking him. Then again, this sort of thing was expected with Sabrina. Even if she DID consent to a mind-reading, there would always be some sort of dark corner in her mind to which he had no light to see through.  
  
The question is, why now? Why in a situation that seemed to call for everyone's knowledge on the subject matter?  
  
"Yo, Kazam?" His thoughts were interrupted by Haunter's sudden question.  
  
"How many times have I told you not to call me that?" Alakazam retorted, still wanting to be alone with his thoughts.  
  
"Um...about thirty thousand and ---"  
  
"Would you shut up, already!? I'm trying to think here."  
  
"Couldja at least tell me what you're thinking? You know I can't read minds like you and Sabrina can."  
  
Alakazam sighed again. "I'm wondering why Mistress is still hiding things from me. She just told me to read her mind. Ash and his friends are in some type of danger that require her immediate attention, yet she's holding back what it actually is."  
  
Haunter cocked an eyebrow. "Why would she wanna do that?"  
  
Alakazam gave him an even look. "That, Haunter, I do not know."  
  
Sabrina burst back into the room carrying what appeared to be some type of large blade. The two Pokemon blanched when they realized what that blade was.  
  
It was Sabrina's Psi Saber, an ancient samurai sword carved from a mysterious alloy found in a meteor that had crashed into an island not far from Kanto. The metal that made up the blade had strange properties that allowed it to act as a powerful ground for Psi to be channeled through. With the blade, Sabrina was allowed to perform stronger types of Psionic techniques. It would serve as a medium that protected Sabrina from those techniques, for without one the force would rip her apart.  
  
Sabrina rarely ever used the sword. When practicing her martial arts swordplay, she would always use one of the lesser swords lying about in her vast armory of weaponry, never laying a finger on the ancient blade. She only used the sword for dire emergencies.  
  
This was a dire emergency.  
  
* * * *  
  
"SHIT!" Jamie yelled as he barely missed a speedy swipe toward his head. He could feel the wind of the strike cool his face as his head jerked out of the way in the nick of time.  
  
"Kill...rip...tear..." Richie murmured as he went in for another blow. He had totally lost control. His body was there, but his mind was not. His true primitive Lekarian instincts and inclinations were showing through in one flash of violence.  
  
Again, Jamie ducked his head under another flying fist as Richie continued with his assault. Again and again, Richie struck out with fists that could shatter steel, or Jamie's bones. Jamie couldn't believe his sudden drastic change in speed and power.  
  
Hmph, he mused with grim realization. Guess this is how those Rockets felt before Ash and I tore them apart.  
  
Ash and the others stood as a silent audience to yet another fight. He still couldn't move a muscle. Misty and the rest were frozen stiff as well, although it wasn't from any immobilizing Psi energy.  
  
The same thought raced through Duplica's head over and over. He saved my life...he saved my life...he saved my life. Still, what's with this sudden change of heart? Why, just a moment ago he was ready to beat me to the ground! Oh, God, those two are gonna kill each other. And what about Ashura?? What's he going to do when this is over???  
  
Stupid question. She knew exactly what he would do when the battle between the two teens ended. To him, this was just a little entertainment before he went about his "business".  
  
She choked back her tears again. And there was nothing she could do to save Ash.  
  
Or was there?  
  
With great effort, she focused her Psi into Ash. Energy of some type locked  
  
Ash's muscles into place; very similar to the energy that the Runaway's Abra used to stop her in her tracks. If she could just counteract that energy...  
  
But wait. If for some strange reason it DOES work, then I'll be completely helpless. The energy that'll I'll expend will leave me totally drained! What use to Ash would I be if I can barely breathe??? How would I protect him?? After all, that mate of his can't even lift a mere ten times her own bodyweight! Ugh, humans are so weak.  
  
SHOOOM!!!!  
  
A blinding flash of blue light illuminated the clearing as Richie flew back into the trees, once again knocking down several of them. When the glare cleared, everyone could see Jamie with both his palms pointed to where Richie once was. He was panting, tired. A thin film of sweat coated his body as he staggered to stay on his feet. He wouldn't last much longer against a Lekarian in the Rage.  
  
Duplica gawked at the sight. THE FOOL! He used up too much energy on that one Psi blast! What was he thinking, using up all his Psi against a Rage Lekarian!? Look! That damn Richie is getting back up again. Run, you idiot, RUN!!  
  
Ash watched on hopelessly as Richie lumbered toward the now exhausted Jamie. He saw more flashes of light as beams of Psi shot at the massive Richie, only to bounce off like tennis balls on a wall, ricocheting onto tree branches and blasting them into burning splinters. He knew that Jamie didn't stand a chance against the monster that Richie had become.  
  
Ash angrily clenched his fist as he watched the horrible scene continue. Wait, clench his fist? He could move!! He experimented with the movement, flexing and contracting his fingers and rolling his wrist.  
  
He tried the other hand. Movement!!! He savored the feeling of being able to control his muscles again as he happily wiggled his fingers like there was no tomorrow. His tendons tightened and loosened with glee as he waved his hands around.  
  
Then it dawned on him. Well, THIS does me a whole load of crap!! Sure I can move my fingers, SO WHAT!? This doesn't help me at all!! Waitaminute ---he could feel his arm tingling--- my ARM!!! Alright, I can wiggle my arm!  
  
Suddenly Misty and Duplica noticed Ash's sudden movement in his limbs.  
  
"Ash??" They both whispered.  
  
With great effort, Ash gave a stiff nod. His mouth slowly curved itself into a smile. Misty and Duplica beamed. Pikachu gave a weak 'Pika'.  
  
Misty gave him a small kiss on the cheek. "You can move!?" she whispered.  
  
Ash nodded again, this time with a looser movement.  
  
But Jamie...  
  
They all cringed when they heard a loud scream of agony as Richie's massive fist collided with Jamie's chest. Hearing it was much worse for Ash and Duplica, as their Lekarian hearing could make out the sounds of the boy's ribs cracking.  
  
Jamie's eyes bulged outward with shock and pain as he felt the bones of his ribs break and splinter inside his body. His mouth was then filled with a warm, coppery-tasting liquid as he slumped to the ground.  
  
"JAMIE, NO!" Misty wailed.  
  
As the boy ceased to move, the dark figure witnessing the now-ended fight gave a small laugh.  
  
* * * *  
  
Sabrina's knuckles became white as she clutched the handle of the sword with grim determination. She could feel the power of the blade coursing through her, filling her body with warm vibrations. A low humming sound escaped from the blade as it began to glow a bright blue.  
  
Her garb was composed of a pitch black gi and custom made shoes designed for combat. Her long green hair was wrapped in a pony-tail behind her head. The sheath of the sword rested just below her hip, held together by a shiny black belt.  
  
Both Pokemon knew what it was. It was battle armor.  
  
"Mistress..." Alakazam breathed. "The sword...what's going on?"  
  
The young psychic's dark, pine-green eyes flared. "Ash is in mortal danger and I'll be damned if I sit back and let anything happen to him." Her voice sharpened into its usual curtness.  
  
"Why have you blocked your mind?"  
  
"Because," she said coolly, "if you knew the circumstances of the situation you'd only try and stop me." She expertly swung her sword in a three hundred and sixty degree motion. "And I DON'T think you want to do that."  
  
Alakazam was taken aback by her words. "Why are you threatening me?"  
  
"Because it's my only means of keeping you out of my way."  
  
"Mistress, THIS IS FOOLHARDY!" he exploded. "You sensed the power of the energy, did you not? What are you going to do, teleport to the scene and save the day???"  
  
"That's exactly what I plan to do, Alakazam." She replied through clenched teeth. "And don't you EVER raise your voice to me again."  
  
"Or what??? You'll cut me with that sword!? What will you do when you get there?? Do you even have a plan of some sort? Oh please, Mistress, tell me you have a plan." Alakazam clutched his spoons.  
  
Sabrina strode by him and Alakazam, positioning the sword in front of her face and closing her eyes. "I do not." She said with her back turned.  
  
"Mistress..." the Pokemon pleaded in a softer tone, "is it worth it? Are you willing to risk your life for this...this...BOY?  
  
Sabrina did not turn to face him when she spoke. "Is it worth it?" she echoed. "Is it WORTH it??" The humming became louder as her body became shrouded in blue energy.  
  
"Boys, you have no idea how insignificant my saving Ash's life is compared to what he did for me. He didn't just save me from anybody, he rescued me from MYSELF. The evil little girl inside me had governed my thoughts and actions for so long, and then Ash comes and makes her disappear forever by bringing me one simple joy. The joy of LAUGHTER."  
  
The humming grew to an unbelievable decibel level as she switched over to telepathy.  
  
"Even if I save his life, I'll still owe him one hundred times over. But if he dies, how can I ever repay him for giving me my life back? And if I die-- -" both Pokemon tensed at the foul word "---at least I'll die knowing that I did what I could to save him."  
  
"Then let us come with you!" Alakazam begged. "Why do you insist on going alone?" His telepathy was strung-out and desperate.  
  
"This is something that is for me and me alone, boys. I can accept no outside help." Her body began to sparkle away beginning with her feet. "I know you might not understand now, but in time, you will."  
  
Just as the last of her head faded away she bid them one last word. "Goodbye."  
  
The blaring humming abruptly ceased as the air stopped rippling. The two Pokemon were alone.  
  
"Goodbye, Mistress." Alakazam whispered.  
  
"See ya later, Sabrina." Haunter sobbed quietly, floating out of the room. "I hope."  
  
* * * *  
  
Gary clutched his stomach as he clenched his teeth in agony. Grinding his teeth together was the only thing keeping him from screaming. He lay on the ground, wrought in a world of suffering.  
  
White hot, fiery pain exploded through his body and seared his nerves. It was like nothing he had ever felt before. All the hits he had taken; every injury he had endured in that past could never add up to the mind-numbing torture he was experiencing right at that very moment.  
  
Turning his head he could see that Umbreon had faded away into unconsciousness. Or was he dead?? Who knew? All Gary knew that he would gladly trade this burning agond for unconsciousness, death even.  
  
Aside from that, Gary knew one other thing. The one thing that he hoped he'd never know or experience.  
  
He had failed his mission.  
  
"So...sorry...everybody...I've...f...f..." he rasped, gasping to draw a breath,"...failed."  
  
The darkness took him.  
  
* * * *  
  
"GOD-FUCKING DAMMIT!!!!" Sabrina screamed into the night sky when she realized where she had appeared. It was the middle of the road, with the forest thick around it. But no Ash, no Misty, no Brock, no other girl, no boy, and no evil force that she had set out to save them from. Only this road.  
  
This stupid, stupid road.  
  
Sabrina never cursed. Tonight, however, she made a new addition to her vocabulary.  
  
How could I have messed up the position!!? I'm supposed to be PERFECTLY ACCURATE, DAMMIT!  
  
She had made an error in the teleportation techniques. Instead of appearing in the spot she had willed for, she found herself over a mile away from it. She cursed herself once more for making that stupid mistake. That stupid mistake could cost Ash's life.  
  
With great effort, she calmed herself down and tried to lock on to Ash's Psi signature.  
  
Where was it?? The signal was lost in the vibrating, writhing quagmire of dark energy!! She was using most of her power to just keep it away from her! Giving a heavy sigh, she instantly regretted going alone.  
  
With renewed rage she thrust her sword into the pavement. The blade went through the asphalt as if it were gossamer. She angrily tossed a Psi bolt at a fallen tree.  
  
Fallen tree?  
  
Her anger switched to shock as she took in her surroundings. The pavement was broken like glass, cracks webbing out in all directions. Freshly fallen trees littered the area for several meters around her. A totaled car lay on its side, shattered glass dotting the ground.  
  
She projected her Psi from out of her body and searched the scene mentally. A mental presence? She pressed further. Human, barely conscious, male, about a year younger than me...  
  
She heard a moan from one of the trees. No, from UNDER one of the trees that had been violently cut down by a powerful Psionic force. Sabrina rushed to the fallen tree, where, underneath it laid a boy; the same mental presence that she detected seconds before.  
  
He had messy brown hair and hazel eyes. His face was covered in black soot and he reeked of dried blood. His body was clad in a dirty gray uniform- like garment with a patch that read "Silph Co." on the left side of the chest. He was barely breathing.  
  
Surging her ears with a light stream of Psi she was able to amplify her hearing. With her heightened sense, she could make out his heartbeat.  
  
Slow and staccato.  
  
Her heart was then filled with pity for this boy. A part of her told him to remove the tree on top of him and try to help him. But another part of her reminded her why she was here in the first place. To save Ash.  
  
She was then filled with inner conflict. I can't just leave this poor boy here to die! But then, if I help him, that will slow me down. I'm already wasting time standing here already!! Wait...  
  
She looked at the logo across his exposed chest area once more. Silph. SILPH!! Where a Silph agent was, his partner would be close by! Maybe he knows where his partner is!  
  
She scanned his mind. No blocking, good...lets see...hmm...on a mission of some sort...to apprehend the Ultimate, whatever THAT is...to intercept the forces of Team Rocket in this area. Yes, TEAM ROCKET!! She quickly remembered the girl with blue hair. The logo on her shirt read T and R!! She was with Ash...and where she was, the boy's partner was bound to be...YES!!!!  
  
But now for him. She stared down at the boy.  
  
I'll have to make this quick.  
  
She closed her eyes and focused her Psi into the massive trunk of the tree. It shimmered a light blue , and then began to hum. It rocked. The boy under it moaned louder; she had to hurry. It vibrated. The blue light shone brighter and brighter until she could feel the rays shine through her eyelids. With loud rushing sounds, the large tree vanished from sight. She heard it slam to the ground twenty feet away from them.  
  
External Teleportation.  
  
She kneeled down by the boy. Once again filling her ears with Psi she listened to his breathing. The rhythm in which he breathed was similar to his heartbeat. Now was her chance. Taking a deep breath, she placed her hands on his chest and released a high voltage charge into his torso.  
  
Splat.  
  
As the boy came to he coughed and gasped for air. Unfortunately, he decorated Sabrina's face with a small spurt of blood. Gasping and heaving, his muscles tensed and without warning he shot up into the air.  
  
Sabrina cried out in surprise as she was thrown back by the force of his rapid ascension. The silence was then replaced with the low humming of a Psionic aura being charged for fight or flight. Instinctively, she drew her sword in front of her body and prepared for an attack.  
  
The boy had his hands stretched out in front of himself as a large, glowing ball began to form in his palms. They were aimed downwards, toward Sabrina. "Who are you!?" he cried.  
  
Sabrina charged her own aura. "I mean you no harm!" she replied up to him.  
  
"Filthy lies!!" he spat. "You're one of THEM, aren't you!? DIE!!!!" He released the glowing ball of energy from his palms, making it fly toward Sabrina.  
  
Sabrina tensed her muscles as she swung the blade in a clean arc toward the ball as it flew at her. Thundering cracks and sizzling sounds erupted from the blade as it made contact with the energy projectile. The burning ball was then thrown back into the sky as she hit it like a baseball.  
  
"Stop it!" she protested. "What do you think you're doing, I saved YOUR LIFE!"  
  
"SHUT UP!" he roared as he raised his hands together. "JUST DIE!"  
  
He's mad, she mentally decided. She could see it in his eyes; they had that unmistakable maniacal glint. It was the dark energy; it was having some kind of poisonous effect on his mind.  
  
She frantically searched his mind a bit more, looking for some type of opening that she could reach. No, it was impossible. The boy had reached the point of no return; he was beyond reason. Madness infected his mind like a foul plague, seeping through the depths of his consciousness. There was only one thing left to do.  
  
Raising the sword into the air, she prepared for her own attack. Drawing energy from inside her and placing it into the blade, the edge began to hiss and sizzle. The humming of her aura became louder as the Psi in the blade became more potent. It had reached its peak; she was ready.  
  
Blade Thunder.  
  
With a loud cry, she swung the blade in a circular motion, releasing the energies built up in the alloy of the sword. Blue lighting shot forth from the blade and ripped its way through the boy's body. His person writhed and spasmed violently as a hundred-thousand volts of electricity jolted through him. He dropped back to the ground like a stone, landing with a loud thud.  
  
Recollecting her energy, she wiped sweat off her brow and sheathed her sword. Using the sleeve of her gi she also removed the blood that he coughed on her. She was then filled with regret as she laid eyes on the boy's smoking corpse. Poor boy, she thought. He never had a chance.  
  
But NOW where did that leave her!? She was supposed to get information from him, and it turns out that the same energy keeping her from finding Ash had driven the boy insane. Now all she had was a blackened body slumped over there, a tree, a stupid Psi trail, a totaled car...  
  
Wait...Psi trail?  
  
Her head jerked in its direction. Filling her eyes with Psi she could make out the misty blue electric trail. She scanned its properties. They belonged to the girl with the Team Rocket uniform! And where she was, ASH WAS!! Placing all the Psi that she could into her speed without lowering the power of her shield and exposing herself to the toxic energy, she sped off.  
  
* * * *  
  
"Stop." A calm voice ordered. "Richie, that'll be enough."  
  
As if on cue, the once raging, maniacal Richie froze in place. The evil expression plastered on his face melted away into a mild, placid one. As if a light flickered away, the burning glow in his eyes fizzled out, revealing his own blood red ones.  
  
He looked refreshed.  
  
"Ahhhhhhhh..." he breathed as he gave a long, mighty stretch. "I feel gooooooood. Yo, Ashura? What did I miss?"  
  
"Take a look in front of you, Richie." He replied as he briefly flared his aura outward.  
  
"Ha...wha...? Oh yeeeeeaaah..." he said in recognition of the battered boy at his feet. "THIS dude."  
  
Richie looked back to Ashura once more. "Should I finish him off?" he asked in the same manner a child would ask a teacher if he got the math problem right.  
  
"Not right now." Ashura responded while twirling his Ragana. The silver rod gleamed in the moonlight. "Have you already forgotten about 'entertainment' over there?" He pointed toward the two girls.  
  
"DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT!" Ash roared as he leaped forward. The two Lekarians looked mildly surprised that he could move again. "Did you already forget about me?"  
  
"Um...Ashura? Ashy-boy over there's movin' around."  
  
"So he is." Ashura said simply, fingering the rod in his hands. "I guess the stasis field I placed around him wasn't strong enough. Hmm...go figure." He seemed bored, not even making eye contact with the group as he spoke. This only infuriated Ash nearly to the breaking point.  
  
"How DARE you do this!!?" Everybody was surprised as well as shocked when Ash's body began to hiss and glow, static electricity sparkling around him.  
  
Then he just vanished. It was as if he was never standing there.  
  
All heads frantically searched the area. Nothing.  
  
"RICHIE!" Ashura barked. "Where did he go!"  
  
"I don't know, man! One second he was there, and alluva sudden, POOF! He's not! This is creepin' me out, ma----"  
  
Richie was interrupted by a fist smashing into the back of his head. His eyes bulged out as he crashed to the ground like so many trees before him that night, landing roughly next to Jamie. When his barrier of a body became horizontal, the figure that took him down was revealed.  
  
Ash.  
  
Duplica gasped. "I can't believe it..."  
  
Misty was still in shock, but she managed to speak. "Can't believe what?" she whispered.  
  
"Ash just performed one of MY moves, Chrono Warp!"  
  
"Chrono what?"  
  
"Chrono Warp!" she whispered fiercly. "It's a technique in which the user slows down time around him for a few seconds. In that few seconds the person can perform an array of attacks, while the other person remains helpless to stop it!"  
  
Misty blanched. "I...never knew Ash could...do that."  
  
"That's not the point, though! It took me YEARS just master the actual Chrono Warping! That few seconds to US was like MINUTES to Ash! He stayed that way for longer than I could EVER stay!"  
  
"But why did it take him MINUTES to do what he just did?"  
  
"How should I know!? I'm not a mind reader."  
  
"WELL I AM!!" A voice shouted. Everyone turned to see a sword swinging girl skid to a halt in front of them.  
  
Ashura smiled as he stopped floating and touched down to the ground. "Well, he observed, clutching his Ragana in his palm, "it seems like the party has just gotten bigger."  
  
* * * *  
  
A/N: Ugh, don't even start with me. I'll point out ALL my mistakes before you can use them against me, HAH! I know it was shorter this time around (only 10 pages _), it seemed really rushed, and it took me A FREAKING MONTH to update. No worries, however. I'm working on chapter 12 as we speak, so you can click out of that porno site now. Yes, I KNOW what YOU'RE looking at. *waves his finger* 


	12. The Escape and The High Priests Appear

Ash's Gift

By MegamanZero

Part Twelve: The Escape and The High Priests

nmc_512@yahoo.com

AAMRN

A/N: Don't. Even. Start. Yes, I'm aware that I haven't updated in almost FOUR MONTHS. Yes, I'm aware that I left you guys hanging in the wings. Yes, I'm aware that I'm a selfish bastard who doesn't deserve fans like you. And yet somehow…I keep on writing. Boo ya. 

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon, because Creatures and Gamefreak just happened to be smoking the right weed when they came up with it. 

* * * *

Sabrina clenched the hilt of her sword tightly in her two hands with a grip that could break bones; the same sword that she had used to kill somebody with a moment before. The blade glowed a dark, murky purple: an indicator that it had taken life. She could feel its curative and amplifying energy coursing through her very veins as she raised it in front of her. It gave her a sense of undeniable power, a security that made her feel as if she could take on the entire world. She was one with the blade. 

Sadly, she was unaware of an object similar to hers that Ashura wielded as well, only small and not as threatening: the Ragana; a myriad of death and destruction held together in simple, silver rod. The shiny baton had enough power to level the entire lush forest of trees into a barren, stubbly wasteland. Ashura clutched it proudly. Although it had only been in his possession for mere hours, he felt as though he had owned it his whole life. It was like an old friend and a powerful enemy as well. From what he had read, Ashura knew that one should never feel safe with a Ragana, as it could easily betray its user and switch to another with the discretion of a tick that moved about from host to host. 

A parasite, that's what it was. It gave him power, yet it seemed to be STEALING something from him. Something he couldn't quite put his finger on, much less ignore. The power, however, was something that he just couldn't just cast aside, either. The raw feeling of infinite energy washing over him, electrifying each and every one of his cells with enough power to blow a hole in the earth elated him. He had more explosive energy in his pinky than a thousand atomic bombs. 

Perfect for blowing this stupid girl that was standing in his way into oblivion. 

"May I help you?" Ashura asked with an oily grin, although he was shrieking in fury internally. Why in God's name have there been so many damn _interruptions_!? He retained a cool head, however, as showing any sort of weakness could mean his undoing. He may have been in possession of the Ragana, but there was still no telling what this girl could do.

And his brother: HE was the wild card. Already Ashura had witnessed his power as the Ultimate when he broke away from his energy hold. He would have to deal with him quickly. 

But there was still the matter of the girl.

"So YOU'RE the source." The girl replied, stepping back and gripping the sword even tighter. "You're the cause of all this toxic energy that's been plaguing Kanto for the past three hours!" 

She was preparing for an attack; he could feel it vibrating through the air. _A brave girl_, he mused. _Foolish and stupid, but brave_. _It's almost a shame that she won't live through the night._

"A shrewd observation." Ashura lectured. "You must be of acute Psionic ability to pry through my thoughts. Especially to be able to withstand the corrosive essence I emit. I placed a shield around the others to keep them alive long enough for them to see me kill them myself. You, however, I have given no such protection; very skillful of you." He lifted a few inches off the ground and slowly, but surely, inched his way toward her. 

"So that must also mean that you have enough Psionic awareness to know that you don't stand a snowball's chance in _Hell_ against me."

"That may be true, but who ever said I was here just to fight you?"

Ashura halted, cocking his head in mild confusion. "Excuse me?" 

"You're excused," she muttered under her breath before slicing her sword in a clean arc through the air. Everybody's ears were then filled a sound similar to an electric guitar breaking, thunder clapping, and lighting striking. Blue and purple energy shot forth from the blade, engulfing Ashura. He blinked once in surprise as more of the energy shot through him. Everyone else squeezed their eyes shut and clamped down on their ears as more Psionic lightning ripped through him.

A concussion was felt in the air as he was hurled back into the brush, tearing away earth as he skid across the ground. Flakes of dirt and underlying rock flew into the sky as his skidding body dug a long, deep trench in the forest floor. 

Wiping more sweat off her brow, she whirled around to see Ash, fist stuck out in front of him, his eyes fixated on nothing.

"Ash!" she cried, waving her hands in front of him. No response. 

* * * *

Jesse cradled Meowth's limp feline form to her breast as if he were her own child, staring into his still-open glassy topaz eyes. That mischievous glint that always sparkled in them was now gone, along with any other hints of life. Never in her life had she ever seen Meowth so...so utterly _soulless_.  

Meowth wasn't dead, she then realized. He was _gone_, almost as if nothing had ever existed within the vessel of his body in the first place; completely unmarked, yet utterly obliterated.

_Will this happen to me, too? Will whatever got Meowth get James and me? Just leave us as empty shells?_

"Jesse." James' voice jerked her back to reality. "JESSE."

Morosely, she turned her gaze toward him. "What?" She replied in a hoarse, dead voice.

"Run." He whispered, a tone of urgency trickling through his words. "Run away as fast and as far as you possibly can."

Jesse's eyes widened. "Why?" She whispered back, although she really had no reason to whisper. "What are you talking about?"

For some strange reason, James' jaw seemed to have tightened and his muscles became more rigid as he struggled to articulate his message.

"Because I can't move."

"What are you---?"

Meowth twitched. Bright red lightning shot through his open mouth like a snake through a tube. Jesse yelped in terror as his body was then jerked into the air and out of her grasp, as if some invisible puppeteer was manipulating him with strings. He twisted and convulsed and writhed spasmodically as more of the crimson energy poured into his mouth. 

The air hissed and crackled as the surrounding area was filled with a terrible heat. The very Earth itself seemed to shout its outrage as a deafening roar erupted from the dirt beneath them. 

Jesse tried to scream, only no sound came out; her vocal cords wouldn't listen to her brain's commands. She tried to take James' advice and run, but her muscles were locked tightly into place. She couldn't even close her eyes to shut out the horrible glare of the strange red light. 

A loud crack of unnatural thunder echoed into the night like a shout from God as the lightning shot itself into Jesse and James' rigid forms.

Then everything went black.

* * * * 

It was almost as if waking up from a placid dream, or a horrifying nightmare. Ash had a vague recollection of what he had just did a few moments ago. All he remembered was yelling something at his attackers, and then falling into some sort of trance where time meant nothing; where the very fabric of the universe itself was at his command. It was rapture. But the rapture was gone, only to be replaced by this cold, harsh reality. He felt a pang of regret for having to leave such a blissful state of mind.

Then the call of reality grew stronger. Ash blinked once, twice, thrice before he could make out his surroundings. It was chaos and dead silence at the same time. Two bodies lay sprawled on the ground; one of them looked like they were dragged through the dirt by a jet, while the other lay facedown, as if he were kissing the ground. 

And everybody was staring at him in horror.

Ash blinked. "What happened?" he looked at the bodies. They were twitching slightly. "Did I just kill somebody?"

"Just about did…" Misty piped up from behind him. 

"Yes." Duplica agreed, "Don't you remember?"

Ash blinked again. "Remember wha…Sabrina!?" And without warning he threw himself on her in a sort of cross between a hug and a tackle. Sabrina yelped in surprise as she quickly moved her sword out of the way before Ash skewered himself on it.

"Urgh!" She grunted as he held her in a vice grip. "Ash! You're…choking me!" Misty and Duplica both twitched their eyelids in unison.

"It's soooo great to see you, Sabrina!" he cried happily as he loosened his grip slightly, but not enough for her to escape it. "How long has it been, two years?" 

"ASH!" Misty roared. "Did it ever occur to you that those monsters over there could wake up at any minute and kill us all? We have to get out of here!" Pikachu "pika'd" in agreement.

"Ash!" Sabrina stamped her foot. "I came here to help you, and I have, now COME ON!" 

His expression turned from happy-go-lucky to serious. He didn't even bother questioning how she got here so quickly and what she was doing with that strange ugly sword. "Right."

_Poor guy…Ash thought as he slung Jamie's battered body over his shoulder. At the same time Duplica lifted Brock into her arm as if he were made of Styrofoam. Misty was quite content with Pikachu in her arms and Togepy in her backpack._

Without another word, the group rushed out of the clearing and back into the woods.

* * * * 

Ashura didn't know how long he had been unconscious. Ten minutes…an hour…he didn't know. All he knew was that he was in a lot of pain and VERY angry. His grip on the Ragana had tightened in anger so much that he thought it would snap in half. With a grunt, he lifted himself out of the three-foot trench his body had skidded. 

His dark eyes shifted over to Richie's massive unconscious form plastered onto the ground. Ashura nearly blew him into a billion pieces on the spot when he realized that he was snoring.

"**_RICHIE!"_** he bellowed has he stomped over to his sleeping body. "Get…up…NOW!" He whacked the boy over the head with his Ragana. As if a light switch had been turned on, his eyes flashed open without warning.

"Hah…heh…wha…? He gurgled, dusting himself off as he got up. "Did somebody get the number of that bus?"

"You IDIOT!" Ashura exploded, his aura flaring a dangerous red. "Do you realize what just happened!?"

"What?" he cried, genuinely confused. He looked about himself before he realized just how foolish and idiotic his question was. "We lost them, didn't we?" He wilted.

"And do you know WHY we lost them!?"

The voice seemed to come from out of nowhere. "_Because you were screwing around."___

Ashura jerked his head. "Who said that?" he roared, his Ragana at the ready. He had had about enough. He was ready to level this entire forest if he had to. "Where are you!"

The three figures seemed to just sort of _emerge from the brush. A man, a woman, and a Meowth, levitating towards the two. They all had placid smiles on their faces, their eyes shining a bright crimson._

"You should not speak in such a rude tone." The man chided.

"To Raganajin High Priests." The other two added on to his sentence. 

Ashura's jaw dropped when he realized that they too wielded the same weapon that he did. Even more adding to his shocked state was the recognition of the ones speaking. The only three humans that he believed deserved to live. He dropped to his knees.

"Brothers…"

* * * * 

A/N: Yes, this chapter was only a measly 6 pages long. I have a life, sue me.


	13. Frustration Takes Its Toll

Ash's Gift By MegamanZero Part Thirteen: Frustration Takes Its Toll nmc_512@yahoo.com AAMRN  
  
A/N: Haha. It's been almost two years since I updated. Hahaha. Ha.  
  
* * * *  
  
Meowth awoke with a jolt. Voices, thoughts, and memories; beliefs that weren't his flowed through the Pokemon's brain at the speed of light. It was as if he had awakened from a nightmare into a nightmare.  
  
Though Meowth could barely tell what was going on, he could feel a different presence inside his body; a presence that was not his own. In an instinctive move, he attempted to jerk his head around, trying to take stock of his immediate surroundings.  
  
His neck wouldn't budge an inch. Aw crap, its just stiff, he thought, about to raise his hands to crack his neck.  
  
I assure you, cat, that your neck isn't stiff in the slightest, a voice thundered. Here, I'll even show you.  
  
Meowth's eyes couldn't even bulge out in horror as he felt his neck swish and whirl around without his brain's command. He could feel his toes wiggle, his paws flap, and his lips making smacking movements as his body just seemed to govern itself. He had no control over anything.  
  
His body was no longer his own.  
  
Panic set in.  
  
LET ME OUT!!  
  
Light. A large, burning bright light, closing in on him; the sun couldn't even compare to the intense glare. More memories flashed, phasing in and out of his mind like a lost spirit, trying to find its way home. Love, hate, anger, happiness, forgiveness, vengefulness; it seemed as though every conceivable emotion known to the universe had began a massive onslaught on the crumbling remnants of his consciousness.  
  
Then the burning began.  
  
It started out as a gentle warmth, almost soothing, tingling his way through his mental self. He felt as though somebody had drawn him a refreshing bath; he relaxed. Soon his relaxation turned to horror when he realized that the invisible hand controlling the water pump had gone insane, the feeling of warmth skyrocketing to scalding.  
  
He screamed. No sound came out of his mouth as he thrashed about wildly in his nightmare, hoping to somehow shrug off the terrible heat. The burning didn't cease, and it started a crescendo from boiling to volcanic. Soon the burning engulfed his entire being.  
  
Death seemed like a blissful release at this point. He didn't care anymore. He wanted death! Death's cold hand would surely quench this fiery burning! In his last ounce of strength, Meowth called out to Death, begging him to take him, to release him.  
  
He received no release. Instead, he received something else. Like rapture, millions of years worth of knowledge seared itself into his mind and heart like a brand on a Miltank's hide. Soon the burning didn't matter anymore. In fact, the agony he was going through seemed like a distant memory, fading away like the waning moon. What seemed to be both forever and an instant, everything seemed to make sense.  
  
Meowth then woke up to the fact that he knew each and every crevice of the galaxy inside and out, from the tiniest quark to the largest black hole. He knew the past, present, and future of his captor. No, he knew the past, present, and future of everyone. He even knew when the first spark of life ever appeared the history of the Universe.  
  
He understood. He knew.  
  
* * * *  
  
They kept a brisk pace as they made their way through the thick brush, listening to the bug Pokemon rustle about in the bushes. Ash and Sabrina walked front, speaking to each other in hushed voices. Misty and Duplica Misty took the rear, listening in on the conversation between the people in front of them. Jamie was still slung over Ash's shoulder. Brock's broken form still lay in Duplica's arms, his head lolled to the side in a grotesque manner.  
  
"So you felt it too?" Ash asked her, his voice quivering. He wondered if he would ever get over the trauma of the last few hours. Then he asked himself if he would even last the night.  
  
Sabrina glanced at him, carefully stepping over a protruding root. "Ash, I'm sure everybody felt it." They were referring to the strange radiation that Ashura was emitting not too far away from them. "Naturally, I wanted to know the source of power, so I did a meditation. It was through that meditation that I found you, and them." She nodded her head towards the others behind them. "I couldn't just let you be hurt. I owe you, after all."  
  
Ash was taken aback by her words. "Owe me? For what? I don't remember ever helping you with anything." It certainly wasn't understandable why she would go out of her way to help him. After all, it had been several years since the two even had contact again.  
  
She gave a small smile. "Because you released me, Ash. Remember that little girl that was always sitting on my lap, the one that disappeared after that last time?" Sabrina shuddered at the memory, but kept going. "That little girl was me, Ash. She was my lost childhood, my happiness, given physical form by my powers." She tapped her head twice.  
  
"I had so completely disassociated myself from my happiness that I had rejected her from my very being. But she never left. She kept on hanging around the gym, begging me to go outside and play, or have a tea party with her. Of course I ignored her, and continued to progress my psychic powers." She gave a bitter smile. "My powers were all I cared about at the time."  
  
"Overtime she realized that she could control me, and the happiness and childhood innocence was eroded away from her. Soon I became her puppet. I wasn't allowed to laugh, cry, or show any emotion. She was the only one who could be happy or smile." Her smile melted from bitter to genuinely happy. "Then you brought me laughter, Ash."  
  
He gave her a confused sidelong glance. "I brought you laughter? Ok, now I'm really confused."  
  
Sabrina chuckled, to which Ash's eyes widened in alarm. Chuckling and smiling certainly weren't things that Sabrina did often. Then again, he hadn't seen her in a long time, so who knows what other drastic changes she had been through?  
  
"You brought me Haunter, Ash." She said, her eyes giving off a pleasant glint. "I swear, there hasn't been a day where the Pokemon hasn't driven me up the wall, but he truly is the ray of sunshine in my life. . ." She trailed off as she fixated her gaze to the thick woods before them.  
  
"I'm such an idiot. In my haste to try and help you, I didn't even think of plausible escape plan." Her eyes slanted forward into a glare. "That little teleportation stunt I pulled wasn't easy to do, and I won't be able to do anything of that magnitude for weeks." Sabrina's voice shrunk into an ashamed whisper. "I should've let Haunter and Alakazam come with me. . ."  
  
Sabrina's heart nearly shattered when she then realized that tonight's events might've damaged Ash emotionally and mentally. Her fears were then confirmed when she noticed that his eyes had taken on a glassy, glazed texture, staring off into the darkness as he trudged along the forest floor like a zombie.  
  
"Oh lord, Ash, are you going to be ok!?" She cried, feeling a sharp pang of guilt for speaking out her own problems when clearly the boy walking next to her had way too many of his own.  
  
He regarded her with a half-hearted, broken smile. "Heh. . .sure, I'll be fine. . .really. . ."  
  
That was a bald-faced lie. She knew it, he knew it. Of course he wouldn't "be fine". One of his best friends was clinging to life with several serious injuries behind him, and the brother he never knew he had wanted nothing more than to kill him and brutally torture the people he cared about. Worse yet, he began to wonder if every aspect of his life was a lie as well.  
  
His only purpose for existence was to serve as the ultimate living weapon, to conquer, pillage and destroy. Even his mom knew about it.did that mean that Professor Oak knew about it? Every Gym leader? Brock? Misty? Had every singly person he met along his journies been part of some kind of grand conspiracy to watch his every move? Was Silph right for wanted him dead?  
  
His humorless, chapped grin grew wider as he spoke. "Yeah. . .I'll bet that one day I'll look back on this whole thing and have a good laugh. . .heh heh. . ." Then he glanced sharply at her with that same horribly vacant smile, as if daring her to laugh along with him. Sabrina, however, had never seen a less humorous sight in all her life.  
  
Meanwhile, Duplica and Misty were caught in a kind of deadlock, each of them exchange murderous glances at the other, seeming as though any second they would be at each other's throats. A silent war of the eyes raged between them as they continued to assault one another with icy glares, neither one of them backing down for even an instant. Pikachu, who was resting on Misty's head, shifted uncomfortably in her hair. He could almost feel the hate radiating between the two as their deadly gazes fixated on each other with unrelenting fury.  
  
This red-headed human bitch Duplica thought to herself as she maintained her scowl. I could break her in half with my pinkie. Just what does Ash see in this little weakling? Her thoughts softened a bit as they drifted towards Ash. Although I have to admit, she gives one hell of a staring contest.  
  
It was Misty who finally broke the silence. "Just who do you think you are, Duplica?" She seethed, her words cold and filled with malice. "Or is that even your name? In fact. . ." Her voice grew steadily louder as she spoke. "How are we supposed to know you really want to help us or not? Do you expect us to believe that you completely toss your beliefs and allegiances out the window in hopes that you'll get into Ash's pants!?"  
  
Sabrina's head whirled around and gave Misty a shocked look. Pikachu squeaked in alarm. Duplica only hardened her icy expression, and Ash just walked on in a rather robotic fashion, acting as if he weren't even listening.  
  
It was a blow below the belt. Misty didn't know that Duplica's love for Ash was genuine, nor did she care. She was running on pure, jealous rage now.  
  
"I don't really care what you have to say, girl," Duplica hissed, giving Misty a look that would put a Rhydon in a coma, "Believe it or not, I actually don't want to see Ash get hurt, and if you don't believe me then that's your problem."  
  
Misty only continued to look back into Duplica's eyes with a look so sharp that it could cut down a tree. Duplica fought the urge to cringe, as Misty's disturbing stare felt like she was peering into her very soul.  
  
She was finally able to gather her words. "I don't trust you." She said simply. "Not even for a second. Not around me, not around Ash, not around anybody."  
  
"You're not required to trust me." Duplica replied with a triumphant sneer on her face. "Ash is the one to make the last word on that."  
  
"It would be really cool. . ." a voice cut in like a rattlesnake's strike. Everybody's heads jerked into Ash's direction to see him addressing the group, his eyes still focused before him. "Ya know, it would just be great if you guys would stop talking about me. . ." He was turning around to face them now, with the most bloodcurdling, spine-tingling haggard expression on his face that said only two words: pissed off. "As if I WEREN'T FIVE FUCKING FEET AWAY FROM YOU!"  
  
As if a gag were forced upon the mouthpiece of the wilderness, the ambient sounds of the forest seemed to be swathed in a blanket of silence as Ash's protest roared through the trees. Nobody moved, nobody even dared to breathe.  
  
"Do you think I LIKE being referred to as a piece of meat to be fought over like a bunch of wild Houndooms? Do you think I ENJOY nearly getting killed way too many times in a row in one night!? Do you think I get a KICK out of hearing two girls bitching and moaning over stupid crap behind my back when there are more important things to worry about!? Like making it through the night ALIVE, maybe!?"  
  
His fiery grimace shifted onto Duplica, making her feel as though he were boring a hole through her skull with his eyes. "YOU. Just where do you get off thinking that you're off the hook just because 'you've joined up with us'!? That still doesn't change what you are. You're part of the same organization that's been making my life a living hell since I was ten years old! Do you think that a few apologies and a really disgusting, sloppy kiss will make up for all the years of misery and heartache and LIES that your kind has put me through!?"  
  
Before Duplica could stammer a response, Ash's wrathful glare trained onto Misty, who looked like she would love nothing more than to sink into the ground right then. "And YOU. Am I some kind of piece of property to you? Gee, you must certainly care me because your incessant whining and bickering really proves it. I can't believe I was falling in love with you."  
  
Ash might as well have ripped out her heart and fed it to a Grimer. Her words wretched their way out of her as violent sobs. "But Ash. . .I love you. . .we can't trust her. . ."  
  
"I don't trust anyone," he spat, his words as cold and hard as sharpened knives. Misty kept weeping out slurred murmurs and Duplica kept on sputtering. Ash only turned around and started walking again, as if turning his back on everyone.  
  
"By the way," he added, stopping in his tracks one last time, "I'd really like it if you would stay the hell out of my head, Sabrina. Do you want me to rip off all your clothes and stare at your naked body? Because that's what it feels like when you poke around in my mind." With that, he continued walking with Jamie still hanging over his shoulder.  
  
The rest of the group followed silently behind him, each of them feeling lower than dirt.  
  
* * * *  
  
Chapter End Notes (this is replacing "A/N)" at the end of a chapter: Yeah, Ash is getting all pissy and weird. Well, wouldn't you be just a tad annoyed if events such as these happened to you? All in one night, no less? I rest my case. 


End file.
